We Used To Wait
by Farewellxo
Summary: Life is never what we expect it to be. Jackie and her husband face marital problems, Lindsay deals with the death of a loved one, and their kids endure their first heartbreak. How do they all tie in together?
1. Strange Conditions

**A/N: I'm not gonna get too specific with a timeline here, because as we know That '70s Show ended at New Year's 1980, and Freaks and Geeks is set in 1980. We're just gonna pretend that the characters are all the same age, okay? I'll consider it A/U if that makes it any better. Just… don't dissect the timeline or you're gonna drive yourself crazy like I have.**

Lindsay sighs heavily as she looks over the phone bill again.

"Matthew," she says loudly, turning to face the living room where her teenaged son sat on the couch doing homework.

"What?" he asks flatly, staring intently at paper in front of him.

"There's no reason the phone bill should be this much again," Lindsay says. "Your girlfriend lives on the same street as us, for God's sake. I thought we talked about this."

Matthew drops his pencil and looks over at his mother. "I swear, I've barely been on the phone lately. Maybe it's Oliver."

Lindsay snorts, wondering why on Earth her twelve-year-old son would be on the phone that much. "I'll talk to him," she says anyway.

She stares at the bill again, wondering how she's going to manage all of these bills for the rest of her life. Financial stability was never an issue before, really, but her husband had died about a month and a half prior and didn't have life insurance nor a solid amount in the bank.

Lindsay's life was turning out to be a series of twists and turns that she never would have expected to happen to her, not in a million years. As a teenager Lindsay was a diligent student, one of the brightest and best in her grade. Sure, she rebelled a little once she turned sixteen, experimenting with pot and lying to her parents, but nothing too out of the ordinary. That wasn't what screwed her up, though; not even close. It was Barry Schweiber.

Barry was a few years older than Lindsay but they had known each other for a long time before they started dating. He was similar to Lindsay in the sense that he took his studies seriously but wasn't a total bore. They began dating her senior year of high school, which was difficult because he was away at college in Wisconsin. Now, Lindsay could've had the pick of any college she wanted. Her heart was set on going to Michigan State for the longest time, which was her father's alum. Once she got accepted to the University of Wisconsin, however, she decided that's where she wanted to go. After all, she was in love.

Her studies and a promising future went out the window, however, when Lindsay found out she was pregnant. Her whole life came crashing down around her. That was never supposed to happen, and while her parents were visibly disappointed, they loved Matthew dearly. Barry was and still remains supportive, but there was a point where Lindsay realized she didn't want her life to be so predictable. She couldn't just choose to be with Barry forever. He began to withdraw himself from the relationship as well, but still came and went quite frequently to see his infant son. It just wasn't meant to be, that's all.

Lindsay dropped out of university upon having Matthew and moved back in with her parents. She got a job at a bookstore to save up money so she and Matthew could move out eventually while her parents paid for her to take night classes at the local community college. They didn't mind because it was a hell of a lot cheaper than U of W's tuition.

While taking those classes, Lindsay met Scott Colt. He was a lot different than Barry. For one, he was athletic… totally not the type of guy she'd go for in high school. He was outgoing, sweet, and slightly weird, which Lindsay loved about him. They dated for nearly two years before they married. Later, their son Oliver was born.

Lindsay knew she didn't want to be a stay at home mom, so she continued taking classes until she got her degree. Eventually, she got a job as an Algebra professor at the school where she and Scott met.

 _Good thing,_ she thinks to herself. She never expected herself to be the type of woman to rely solely on a man the rest of her life anyway.

The front door opens, revealing Oliver, whose sandy brown hair is all askew from the wind.

"Just the kid I was looking for," Lindsay says, raising her eyebrows.

Oliver's eyes widen, as he knows that tone. "What? I was at Justin's. I thought you'd know."

One last surprising detail about her life is the fact that her former high school crush Daniel Desario is still in it. He lives down the street with his wife, who, shockingly enough, is not Kim Kelly, and their two kids. The oldest, Alexandra, has been dating Matthew for a year now, which Lindsay found adorable. Their son, Justin, was pretty good friends with Oliver as well.

"Yeah, well, I figured," Lindsay says. "Have you been, like, talking on the phone every night or something? The bill is insane and Matthew swears it wasn't him."

Oliver's face goes a little pale and he visibly swallows. "Um, no. I mean, he's the one who has to call his girlfriend all the time." His eyes dart away from his mother's.

"Oliver Ryan, are you lying to me?" Lindsay asks, astonished. Usually she has no problems with her youngest.

"Yeah, he definitely is," Matthew says, jeering from the other room.

Oliver drops his backpack on the ground with a loud thud. "Shut up," he says, his voice small.

Lindsay narrows her eyes. "You aren't calling any hotlines, are you? I mean… I would've thought it would show on the bill."

"Um…" Oliver looks around, trying to think.

"He's got a girlfriend, Mom," Matthew declares. "I picked up the phone one night and heard them talking."

Oliver's face flushes and he stammers, trying to say something that would refute what his brother just said.

"Is that true?" Lindsay asks, her eyes wide. "You have a girlfriend?"

"Y-yeah," Oliver admits. "I'm sorry, Mom. She wanted me to call her every night and I figured Matthew does it, so…"

"Forget about the phone bill for now," Lindsay says, standing up and going over to Oliver. She puts her arms around him, a tiny smile on her face. "My baby has a girlfriend. I can't even believe it."

"Mom!" Oliver tries to shrug her off.

"What's her name?" Lindsay inquires.

"Lauren," Oliver says, his face heating up again. "Um, we've only been going out for, like, two weeks."

"Two weeks?" Lindsay asks. "That's pretty serious for a seventh grader."

"Whatever," Oliver says, walking past his mother to the hallway. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."

Matthew sets down his homework and walks over to his mother in the kitchen, smirking. "Told you."

"I can't believe it," Lindsay admits, still stunned. "I mean, did you secretly date girls when you were twelve?"

Matthew laughs. "You know me. When I was twelve, I was dating my Atari. Alex is my first girlfriend, for the record, and my only one."

"That's what I thought," Lindsay says, and smiles at her son's confidence in his relationship. "You're quite optimistic, you know that?"

"Yeah, and I don't get it from you," he says, a grin on his face as he opens the refrigerator.

"I never had a serious relationship in high school," Lindsay muses. "Well, not until your father, anyway."

Matthew takes a swig of orange juice from the carton and puts it back, noting the disapproving look on his mother's face. "Still can't imagine you guys together," he admits.

"It all worked out for the best," Lindsay says, then is reminded of her current situation. "At least, for a while." She shakes her head in attempt to shake off the melancholia. "Your dad is happy, though. That's good."

"You'll be happy, too, Mom," Matthew says encouragingly. "Grandma told me the other day you were always independent. You can handle being on your own. _That's_ good."

Lindsay smiles sadly at her eldest son. "What did I do to deserve you?" She gives him a kiss on the cheek and sits back down at the table in front of her bills.

…

Matthew Schweiber hops off his bike and enters the Desario home without knocking. He knows that nobody's home besides Alex right now anyways.

"Hey," Alex greets him from the doorway of her bedroom. "Come here."

"Why, are we gonna have sex?" Matthew grins as he approaches his girlfriend. He already knows the answer anyway.

"Matt," Alex says seriously, "I told you I want to wait."

"I'm kidding," Matthew explains, pulling her in for a quick kiss. "But, I mean, we have been together for a year."

"We're only fifteen," Alex says as they walk into her room. "Let's stop talking about this. I'm getting all paranoid that my dad has this place bugged." She looks up at him and smiles. "How was the homework?"

"Enthralling," Matthew says, sitting on her bed. "Mesmerizing. How was band practice?"

"Awful," Alex admits. "I couldn't sing along to this weird strumming pattern that Ben wants me to do."

"Nah, I'm sure you were great," Matthew says sweetly.

If we're being honest, Matthew and Alex are very unalike. Matthew acquired the typical Schweiber sense of humor and is top of his class, just like his mother was, but was a remotely quiet guy. His parents, although separated, always got along for his sake, and his family life is relatively normal with the exception of his stepdad just passing. Alex, however, is a straight C student. She tends to shift more of her focus on her musical talents, and is pretty outgoing. Her parents have a rocky relationship and fight often, even separating for about a year or so, forcing her mother to take them to her home of Wisconsin for the time being.

"I can't wait until you turn sixteen," Alex says randomly.

"Me?" Matthew asks. "What about you?"

"You'll turn sixteen first," Alex reminds him. "Then we can actually drive around and go places. It'll be so nice."

"Yeah, but with what car?" Matthew asks.

"I'm sure your mom will let you use hers," Alex says offhandedly.

Matthew shakes his head. "She's grasping onto everything she's got now. I don't think she's gonna chance a new driver wrecking her car." He pauses. "Plus, your dad said he'd give you one when you turn sixteen. It's only two months after I do."

"Well, let's hope he means it," Alex mumbles. "I just can't wait for us to go places together, you know? The movies, the mall…"

"We could do that now," Matthew points out.

"Yeah, we can ride our bikes to the strip mall down the street, not the real mall," Alex says. "Or our parents could drive us. That's not cool. Picture me and you, choosing whatever radio station we wanna listen to, going as fast as we want—"

"There are laws, you know," Matthew retorts.

"Why are you trying to harsh my mellow?" Alex says, a tiny smile on her face as she jabs her boyfriend in the side.

"Hey, hey, watch it," Matthew says, grinning back at her. They look at each other for a moment, smiles still in tact, and he leans in and kisses her. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she responds, beaming at him. "My parents should be home any time now… we probably should get out of here and watch TV in the living room or something. I don't want to hear it from my dad."

"I agree with you one hundred percent," Matthew says, and they both stand up and head to the living room.


	2. Cold Light

It's a lot better than it was. She has to keep reminding herself of that.

Jackie thinks back to just five years ago for a moment and then snaps out of it. There's no use in doing that to herself right now.

She thinks about Lindsay and how sorry she feels for her. Her own husband may be a jackass, but at least he's alive.

Jackie met her husband Daniel when she was sent to Michigan one summer as a punishment, staying with her straight-laced aunt and uncle, along with her geeky cousin Millie. It was all Michael Kelso's fault, really. He wouldn't marry her, so she wigged out and started doing crazy things like making out with Steven Hyde. Her dad caught her sneaking him in the house one night, and just like that, she was sent to Michigan for the rest of the summer.

Daniel had been broken up with his on-again, off-again girlfriend Kim Kelly when they met. They got high together that summer a lot, which was a nice way to get rid of some of the stress that Jackie's aunt was causing her. They fooled around a lot, which was nice also, until Jackie went back home when the summer was done and discovered she was pregnant.

Her father said they could 'take care of it.' Jackie was unwavering, though. She wanted this baby because she loved Daniel.

Eventually, though, her father realized he was in some deep shit with the law and would probably be going to prison soon. With Jackie's mother gone, he decided the best place for her and the baby would be Michigan. He took out a few grand while he still had it and gave it to his daughter to get an apartment for once the baby was born.

"This boy doesn't come from a wealthy family, eh?" he asked numerous times. "I know you'll hate it, princess, but 'better get a job."

So, she and Daniel got an apartment after Alexandra was born. She worked as a secretary and he had a factory job. They married and eventually had Justin as well. When the kids were no longer babies, though, Daniel cheated on Jackie with his ex, Kim. Jackie found out and split, taking the kids with her to Wisconsin. It was then that she reconnected with her old friends, namely Eric and Donna Forman and their kids. She and the kids lived in a house with a man, Andy, who had an unrequited crush on her and undercharged her rent. They got along fine for the most part, until Daniel came and fought to get her back. She realized she missed him and the kids missed him, so they moved back to Michigan. This was five years ago now.

He's supposed to be home at three. It's now nearly four.

Jackie sighs. She loves Daniel, really, but sometimes he drives her insane.

She starts a load of laundry and hears the front door open.

"Where the hell have you been?" Jackie asks, turning around quickly to see her daughter, in tow with her guitar.

"Uh, band practice?" Alex responds, raising an eyebrow at your mother.

"Sorry," Jackie apologizes. "I thought you were your father."

"Whatever," Alex mutters, and begins to walk past her mother.

"Take your shoes off," Jackie reminds her. "Ugh, you know I hate when you wear those."

Alex kicks off her red jelly shoes. "You know everyone wears them, right?"

Jackie rolls her eyes. "Yeah, but I thought you were a black sheep."

"Just because I'm into grunge doesn't mean I'm a black sheep, Mom," Alex says, laughing a little bit. "It's actually quite popular right now. Not like you'd know. All you listen to is Donna Summer and, like, Abbott."

"ABBA," Jackie corrects her, a small smile appearing on her face, which quickly disappeared when she heard the door again.

Alex heads to her room and Daniel walks in.

"Hey, babe," he says, approaching his wife.

"Why were you so late?" Jackie asks, putting her hands on her hips.

"They asked me to stay late," Daniel explains.

Jackie finally drops the detergent in the washer and slams the top down. "Well, you could've told me."

"I'm not one of our children, you realize that, right?" Daniel says flatly. "Anyways, it was only an hour."

"Yeah, well…" Jackie taps her foot. "I could've had something planned."

Daniel tries to hide a laugh. "Yeah, well, did you?"

Jackie bites her lip and shrugs, trying to think. "Maybe."

"Liar." Daniel gives her a quick kiss and heads to the kitchen. "Kids home?"

"Alex just got back from practice, and Justin and Oliver just left on their bikes about twenty minutes ago," Jackie tells him, appearing in the doorway to the kitchen. "Hey, um, Donna called me today."

"Yeah?" Daniel asks. "How's she?"

"Fine," Jackie responds, "But I was thinking, you know… it's been a few years since I've been out there. I—"

"You wanna go to Wisconsin," Daniel says flatly.

"Well, yeah," Jackie says. "I miss my friends."

"Jackie, that place is nothing but bad memories for me," Daniel says, sitting at the table and looking at his wife. "Can't she come visit?"

"She did last year," Jackie points out. "Plus, it'd be nice to see my father. You don't have to come. I don't think it'd be smart to take a week off, anyway."

Daniel was quiet for a moment.

"You gonna see him?" he finally mumbles.

"Who?" Jackie asks, visibly frustrated.

"Th—That guy who wanted to bone you," Daniel utters. "The guy you lived with."

"Andy?" Jackie asks in disbelief, then thinks about it. "I mean, I don't see why I would unless I ran into him."

"Well, try not to," Daniel states, his voice low.

"Daniel, you know I was never into him like that anyway," Jackie says, rolling her eyes. "Have we forgotten that you're the one who cheated on me?"

Daniel smacks the table. "No, _we_ haven't forgotten any of that shit because it's still brought up at least once every two weeks."

"I forgive; I don't forget," Jackie says in a singsong tone.

Daniel snorts. "Clearly." He frowns, looking down at his hands. "But anyway, yeah, go. Just don't call up that guy and don't suddenly decide you wanna get revenge on me for something I did years ago."

Jackie laughs; she can't help it. "Baby, you know if I was like that, it would've happened years ago."

A playful smile appears on his face as he stares at the table. "Yeah, yeah; just checkin'."

Jackie smirks as she walks by him and Daniel grabs her, pulling her on his lap.

"You know you're the best thing to ever happen to me," he murmurs into her hair, his arm around her. "I promise, I'll never put you through that again."

"I believe you," Jackie acknowledges, smiling at her husband's display of affection. "I love you." She gives him a kiss and hops off of his lap.

"Love you, too, sweetheart," Daniel says, slapping her backside playfully as she walks down the hall.

…

Alex has homework to do, but she only does the easy parts. After all, she wants to focus on writing music. Her band mate and close friend Ben told her he wanted to see her give it a try, so she's eager to see what she can come up with.

She decides to pop in her favorite Sonic Youth album and see if inspiration strikes. 'Dirty Boots' begins to play as she sits at her desk, tapping her fingers against it as she listens.

It wasn't working. She was just singing along instead of thinking about what to write.

Suddenly, her mother opens the door. "Alex?"

"Jeez, Mom, knock next time, okay?" Alex whines.

"Oh, please, you have _nothing_ to hide from me," Jackie says menacingly. "Anyway, I'm going to Wisconsin next week to see Aunt Donna. I already asked Justin and he's not interested, but would you want to go?"

Alex thinks about it. Donna's daughter Lisa was around her age but they weren't super close. However, it could be cool to go back. After all, it was summer.

"Yeah, I'll go," Alex says. "It'd be cool to get away for a little bit, I guess."

"Really?" Jackie asks, slightly surprised. "Cool. Well, start packing soon. We'll leave on Monday."

"Cool." Alex picks up her guitar as her mother exits the room.

She figures out a spontaneous chord progression, something she never had a problem doing anyway. It's the words that are hard.

 _Cold light, hot night._

It's all she could come up with.


	3. Only Human

It's Sunday night, and Jackie told Lindsay she would make dinner for the two families that evening. However, Jackie hates cooking and isn't too good at it, so she orders pizza and invites Lindsay and her boys over.

"How you holding up?" Jackie asks Lindsay as she tears a slice of pizza out of the box and sets it on her paper plate (dishes aren't her strong suit either).

"Oh, you know," Lindsay mumbles, picking up a mushroom that fell off of her piece. "Same old." Her eyes momentarily light up. "You know, I found out that Oliver has a girlfriend."

"No way," Jackie says, smiling at her friend. "Justin's gotta be about there, too, I think. They're just so damn secretive."

"That's probably what they do when they hang out," Lindsay says with her mouth full. "They talk about girls now, I'm sure."

Jackie glances at her youngest son from the corner of her eye. He's sitting on the couch in the living room with Oliver next to him as they casually talk.

"Poor boys," Jackie says quietly. "I remember how insane it was being that age as a girl. I can't imagine what they're going through." She frowns, remembering that Oliver also has just lost his father. "I mean… they aren't gonna be kids much longer."

"They're twelve and thirteen," Lindsay reminds her. "They're hardly kids now."

"That's subjective," Jackie says a little defensively.

Meanwhile, Alex and Matthew are sitting on her bed eating their pizza. They're taking advantage of hanging out in Alex's room since Daniel is working late and he's the only one who cares anyway.

"So you're really leaving me tomorrow, huh?" Matthew asks.

"Only for a week," Alex states.

"How are you ever going to survive without me?" Matthew teases. "I mean, we do spend every day together."

"I'm a little more worried about you," Alex admits, a small smile on her face. "I get to be in a different location and hang out with different people. I'll be busy. You, however, get to stay home and do all of your weird AP summer homework. Real exciting, huh?"

"That summer homework involves some reading," Matthew says. "It'll give me something to do." He takes a final bite of his pizza and sets the crust down on the plate. "Do you have, like, old friends there or something?"

"I mean I had friends when I lived there," Alex says. "Nobody I kept in contact with. But it's not like I'm going to just be surrounded by adults the whole time I'm there, though. Aunt Donna has a daughter who is like, a year younger than me, I think."

Matthew grins and grabs her hand. "Just _try_ to have a good time without me, okay? I know it'll be super hard, but…"

"Ew!" Alex pulls her hand out of his grasp. "You got pizza grease all over my hand!" She giggles and looks at him. "Stupid."

"Won't be so stupid when you come back, what with all the studying I'm gonna be doing," Matthew says with a wink.

Alex hears her father voice bellowing from the kitchen. "Shit. What now?"

The door flies open. It's Jackie.

"You know your dad doesn't like you two alone in here, and I'm lenient," Jackie says quietly, "But you've got to at least keep the door open, okay?" She peers behind her really quick and then looks back at the kids. "I trust you both, you know, especially you, Matthew," she says, looking at her friend's son, "But Daniel, not so much. You're his daughter's boyfriend."

"Okay, sorry, Mom," Alex says. "It's just a habit."

"Sorry," Matthew echoes as Jackie walks away, leaving the door open.

"What does she mean, she _especially_ trusts you?" Alex pouts. "I've never done a bad thing in my life."

Matthew just grins at her.

…

"You know my son is smart," Lindsay tells Daniel as he joins them at the kitchen table. "So is Alex. They're not idiots like you two."

Jackie hides a smile as she glances over to see her husband's reaction.

"They're teenagers," Daniel says. "Teenagers aren't smart."

"No, Daniel, _you_ weren't smart," Lindsay says. "I mean, you were a mother's worst nightmare when you were in high school."

"Kim's mom liked me," Daniel says, earning him a glare from his wife.

"Kim's mom wasn't a real mom," Lindsay refutes. "She didn't care what Kim did or who she did it with." She looks over at Jackie. "Sorry," she apologizes.

Jackie just rolls her eyes. "Maybe I'll see my ex-boyfriend when I visit, and then I can talk about him in front of you," she comments to Daniel.

"Come on," Daniel says dramatically. "That idiot? You think he's gonna make me jealous?"

"Oh, you think I'm jealous of that tramp?" Jackie asks, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I…" Daniel stops. "Never mind."

Lindsay hides a small grin on her face as she watches her friends continue to bicker. In a way it makes her sad because she doesn't have a husband to bicker with anymore, but at the same time she and Scott never argued the way Daniel and Jackie do.

"Guys, shut up!" Justin yells from the living room. "We're trying to watch TV and we can't do that if you're always fighting!"

Daniel rolls his eyes. "We are not 'always fighting'."

Lindsay looks at him with a skeptical look on her face. Jackie ignores it and takes a sip of her wine, while Daniel notices and turns to face his wife.

"Hey, we get along like most couples do," he says, and looks back at Lindsay. "She knows I love her." He grins at his wife.

"Some days," Jackie says, being serious but keeping a small smile on her face. "He's probably looking forward to me leaving for a week, to be honest."

"Nah, 'cause you know Justin's gonna be off with Oliver the whole time," Daniel says. "I'm gonna be alone."

"You can hang out with Ken," Lindsay offers.

"Ken's got a baby," Daniel says. "I've only seen him once since she's been born and she's two."

Lindsay doesn't even bother to bring up Nick Andopolis. Daniel and Nick hadn't spoken much since Nick joined the Marines after high school per his father's request. Everybody mostly expected him to rebel or stick with it a couple years and then resume being his goofy, drum-loving self, but Nick kind of wound up just like his father. Whether something happened to him or he just decided to become hardheaded one day, nobody really knows.

"Well, if you're ever desperate, I'm right down the street," Lindsay says. "I don't have much company besides you guys these days, anyway. With your daughter gone, however, I might have Matthew back for a little while."

"What about me?" Matthew asks, emerging from the hallway.

"You gonna want to hang out with me while Alex is gone?" Lindsay asks, raising an eyebrow at her son.

Matthew smiles. "Of course, Mom."

He and Lindsay had always gotten along, but he especially has been feeling sympathetic towards her since Scott died.

"See," Lindsay says, gesturing to Matthew, "He's a good boy."

"Okay, I'm an honor student, not a dog," Matthew jokes.

"You guys spend so much time together," Daniel comments, "I'm guessing you aren't helping her study 'cause her grades are nothing like yours."

Matthew sheepishly smiles. "Yeah, well…"

"I'm not all intellectual like Matt, Dad," Alex intervenes. "Just like you aren't. It's fine. I got my music, anyway."

"Music doesn't pay the bills," Daniel reminds her.

"It can," she shoots back with a smile plastered on her face. "Not like you guys even care. You've never even come to one of our shows."

"The places where you play scare me," Jackie simply says.

"You'd be with Dad," Alex points out. "But whatever, it's fine. Just don't think I haven't noticed you made it to all of Justin's soccer games."

She walks away, grabbing Matthew's hand and making him follow her into the living room.

There's an awkward air around the kitchen.

"Well, now I feel like shit," Daniel admits.

"Don't," Lindsay says, forcing a smile on her face. "You guys will hear her eventually. She's mostly only played in people's basements, anyway, from what I hear." She stands up. "I should probably head back home. I have some papers that I need to grade." She looks over at Jackie. "You and Alex be careful, okay? And have fun. I'll see you guys next week."

"We will," Jackie says, giving her friend a quick hug. "See you next week."


	4. Old Friends, New Friends

"That's everything. Ready?"

Alex frowns and looks at her mother. "No, Matt was supposed to come say bye. He must be held up doing something."

"Yeah, well… did you say bye to your dad and Justin?" Jackie asks.

"Not Justin, no," Alex states.

Jackie gives her a knowing look.

"Wh—Mom, he doesn't care!"

The look continues.

"Fine."

Alex stomps into the house right past her father who was coming outside.

"She forget something?" Daniel asks, walking up to his wife.

"She didn't say goodbye to her brother," Jackie says. "We're killing time anyway. Matthew should be over here any second to say goodbye to her."

Daniel tries to hide the look of disgust that appears on his face, but not very well. "Well, I'd like to miss that part."

Jackie laughs at him. "Oh, I know you do." She wraps her arms around him and he leans his forehead against hers. "This doesn't gross you out, does it?" she asks teasingly.

"Quite the opposite," Daniel says, grinning at her. "I'm gonna miss you, babe."

Jackie nodded. "Yeah, I'll miss you, too, but… maybe this week apart will be good for us, you know?"

"Don't say that," Daniel says. "Don't act like we have these awful problems. I love you and you love me and we're fine." He gives her a long kiss. "I see Matthew on his bike. Be careful, okay? Call me when you get there."

"Okay," Jackie says, letting go of his hand as he walks away from her.

"Bye, Dad," Alex says, walking past him again. "Oh, Matt!" She runs up to where he stands, his bike dropped on the grass because of his broken kickstand. Her mother has gotten into the car, good.

"This is gonna be the longest we've gone without seeing each other since we started dating," Matthew says.

"Yeah," Alex agrees sadly. "I usually can't even stand it when you go to your dad's for the weekend."

They stand there in silence for a moment, holding hands.

"Okay," Matthew finally says. "I love you. Call me eventually, okay?"

"I will," Alex says, giving him a quick kiss. "I love you, too."

"Oh, come on," Matthew says. He grabs her and gives her a good, long kiss.

"Matt," Alex says, laughing as she pulls away. "We're like, in front of my house."

"I don't care," Matthew says, a smile on his face. "Bye, Alex. Be careful."

"I will," she says. "Bye." She gets in the passenger side of her mother's car.

"No tears, huh?" Jackie asks teasingly. "I'm surprised."

Alex rolls her eyes. "Duh, Mom, I'm not a wimp." She groans, realizing that her mother is playing the same mix tape that she always has on in her car. "Please tell me we aren't listening to this on repeat the whole ride."

"What, you aren't a big Hall and Oates fan?" Jackie asks sarcastically. "I'll tell you what, when the tape is finished and we're out of the zone where I know the radio stations, you can pick out what we listen to."

"Okay, fair enough," Alex agrees, and they drove off while 'Kiss On My List' continued to play.

…

"Any minute now," Donna says, glancing at the clock. "I hope they didn't get stuck in traffic or anything."

"Calm down, Mom," Lisa Forman says, tucking her auburn hair behind her ears. "They probably just left late."

Donna raises her eyebrows at her teenaged daughter. "Do I seem un-calm to you?"

"So, who are these people again?" Jimmy Hyde asks Donna. "I know you said I'll remember but I don't."

"Well, you were younger," Donna admits. "That's around the time that you and your dad were taking care of that legal stuff." She pauses. "When you met your mother," she clarifies.

Jimmy makes a face.

"Her name is Jackie and she's one of my best friends. She used to date Kelso, you know, the tall idiot?" Jimmy nods. "Well, she grew up here and moved away because her boyfriend, now husband, whatever, lives in Michigan. They separated some years later and she moved back for about a year, until he came crawling back to her."

"Are her kids our age?" Jimmy asks.

Lisa clears her throat and speaks up. "Her daughter is a year older than me, so your age."

"Yeah, and her son isn't coming apparently," Donna says. "Which isn't necessarily a bad thing because we always need extra room for you, you leech." She gives him a playful smile so he knows she's joking.

Jimmy Hyde has been under his father's care since he was two years old. His mother Samantha, a Las Vegas stripper, decided she'd tried the mom thing and it just wasn't working out. Therefore, she dropped the curly-haired toddler on the Formans front porch, surprising the hell out of Hyde when Eric called him upstairs to talk to Samantha. Jimmy is very similar to his father, with a super laidback attitude. He lives with his father officially, but most nights, he crashes with the Formans. He and Lisa are best friends and Donna's always acted as though she were his real mother.

A knock is heard on the door, and Donna stands up. "Guess they're here." She exits the kitchen.

Jimmy looks at Lisa. "So, like, are you friends with the daughter?"

Lisa shrugs. "Not really."

"Is she hot?" Jimmy asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Jim, how should I know?" Lisa asks, annoyed. "I haven't seen her since I was nine."

"Hmm."

Jimmy's only fifteen, but he's turning into a little playboy. He's like a mini Kelso, but with brains. The only girl he hasn't gone after, in fact, is the one sitting right next to him. He and Lisa are too much like brother and sister, both being only children.

Donna enters the kitchen with the two short, raven-haired women.

"Guys, say hi to Jackie and Alex," Donna instructs.

Lisa says hello. Jimmy nervously clears his throat and says hi.

"Well, do you guys want to unpack? I can take you upstairs," Donna offers.

"I should probably call Daniel first," Jackie says.

"Alex, you can take the guest room in the basement, but I'm warning you, it's not super fancy," Donna says. "I'll just have Jimmy sleep on the couch if he stays here."

Alex nods and grabs her bags and heads to the basement while Jackie grabs the phone to call her husband.

Donna gives Lisa and Jimmy a disapproving stare.

"What?" Lisa asks.

"Go talk to her, you guys," Donna says quietly.

Lisa shrugs and she and Jimmy stand up and go downstairs.

"So…" Lisa stands awkwardly in the doorway of what is usually Jimmy's room. "How's Michigan?"

"Um, it's good," Alex says, a phony smile on her face. "I haven't seen you since we were kids. How's… life?"

"Great, just… great," Lisa says. She elbows Jimmy in attempt to get the heat off of her.

"Uh…" Jimmy trails off. "So… your mom's from here, huh?"

"Yes," Alex says with a slight laugh. "You know, you guys can go do whatever you were doing before. You don't have to feel obligated to hang out with me."

"My mom told us to come down here," Lisa admits. "To be honest, I know it's only eleven but I'm pretty tired."

"Not me," Alex says. "I can't lie down after sitting in that car all day."

"Well, I'm gonna go to bed and we can… catch up or whatever tomorrow," Lisa says. She gives Jimmy a threatening look. "Behave," she mouths to him before going upstairs.

"You don't mind if I hang out down here for a while, do you?" Jimmy asks. "I usually watch TV down here before I go to bed."

"Nah, that's fine by me," Alex says. "I'll appreciate the company." She pauses as Jimmy flops on the couch. "I'm gonna go upstairs and say goodnight to my mom and Aunt Donna really quick."

She goes upstairs to see Donna's arm around her mother as she weeps at the kitchen table.

"Mom?" Alex asks.

Jackie's head snaps up and she wipes her eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry, honey. I… I didn't think you were gonna be up here, at least not for a while."

"What's wrong?" Alex asks.

"Nothing," Jackie says. "Really, nothing. I'm just… you know, talking about your father and everything."

Alex bites her lip. "Okay. I was just coming to say goodnight."

"All right," Jackie says.

"Goodnight, sweetie," Donna says. "You're okay with Jimmy down there, right?"

"Yeah, he's fine," Alex says. "Night, Mom."

"Goodnight," Jackie says, and Alex goes back down the stairs.

"What are you watching?" she asks, sitting on the opposite end of the couch.

"Oh, uh, Mad TV," Jimmy says. "We can watch whatever, though."

"This is fine by me," Alex says.

"So, you're fifteen, right?" Alex looks at him and nods. "Yeah, me too."

"Cool," Alex says. "What kind of music do you like?"

"Oh, well, definitely Nirvana… uh, I like the Pixies, Pavement, Sonic Youth." He stops to think more. "My dad got me into Led Zeppelin. They aren't bad, you know, for old stuff."

"Wow, good taste in music," Alex says. "My dad likes Led Zeppelin, too, I think."

"Yeah, I play guitar," Jimmy brags.

"No way, me too," Alex says. "I'm in a band. Are you?"

"Oh, uh, no," Jimmy says. "That's crazy, though. Do you sing, too?"

"Sometimes," Alex says. "Me and my friend Ben switch."

"That's awesome."

This information is all that Jimmy needed to hear to confirm that Alex is indeed the coolest girl he'd ever met. Sure, he thought she was hot when he saw her, but hearing that she's in a band and has an awesome taste in music? All the girls he messed around with were pretty but had nothing to them. This made him decide to take it slow with this girl. No need to try and hook up tonight.

"How good are you at guitar?" Alex asks Jimmy.

"Um…" Jimmy trails off. "I mean I know your basic chords. I can play Stairway to Heaven pretty good."

"I'm sure you're just being modest," Alex says with a smile.

They watch TV and chat a little longer before Alex starts to feel tired.

"I'm gonna head to bed," Alex says. "Thanks for the company."

"Oh, uh, okay. I'll keep the volume down," Jimmy offers.

"You don't have to do that," Alex declares. "I mean, don't have it blasting, but… it's fine. Goodnight."


	5. Partial Poison

"How you holding up without her?" Lindsay asks, smirking as she stood in her eldest son's doorway.

Matthew looks up from the book he's reading and gives his mother an unamused look. "It hasn't even been a day yet."

"I know, but you two are attached at the hip," Lindsay comments. "Are you reading that for school or for fun?"

"'The Odyssey'? Definitely not for fun," Matthew comments as he flips the page.

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad," Lindsay says. "I read that one in college."

"For school or for fun?" Matthew asks with a smirk on his face.

Lindsay rolls her eyes. "Okay, for school, smartass." She smiles. "I'll leave you alone for the night. Goodnight, honey."

"Night, Mom," Matthew responds.

Lindsay walks over to Oliver's door and tries to listen to make sure he's not on the phone, which he's not. However, she hears him sniffing.

She knocks on the door. "It's me. Can I come in?"

"Oh, um, yeah, sure."

Lindsay opens the door to find her son's eyes all red and puffy, as though he had been sobbing for hours. Of course, he must have just wiped the tears away from his face. She can always tell when he's been crying, though.

"Oh, Ollie." Lindsay walks in and sits on her son's bed, embracing him as he begins to sob again.

She rubs his back as she feels her eyes start to well up, too.

"I miss him, Mom," Oliver manages to get out.

"I know, baby." Tears are now spilling out of her eyes as well. "I do, too… so much."

They continue crying together for a few minutes. Eventually, Lindsay pulls away from him.

"I know it's not fair," she tells Oliver. "And I know it's never going to not be difficult… but we're going to be okay.

Oliver wipes his eyes and nods hesitantly.

Lindsay sadly smiles. "It was his idea to name you Oliver, you know that?"

"No," Oliver admits.

"Well, you know your dad, he wasn't much of an academic," Lindsay says with a small laugh. "But he told me he got the name from Dickens… Oliver Twist." She pauses. "So I asked him if he was a big fan of Charles Dickens or something, and he says 'no, don't you remember?'" Her voice quivers. "I guess it was the book we had to do a group project on in our English class. It was how we met."

"Really?" Oliver asks. "How come I never knew that?"

Lindsay shrugs. "I don't know. I never really thought about it until now."

"What about Matthew?" he asks. "Does he have a cool story?"

"Not really," Lindsay says. "I picked the name Matthew and his father agreed that it was a good name, so we chose it."

"Huh." Oliver sits up and wipes his eyes.

"He'd be begging you to tell him all about your girlfriend," Lindsay tells him. "You were his best friend, you know? He'd get so excited to go to all of your games and he'd tell everyone in the stands that you, number nineteen, were his son."

"I didn't know that," Oliver says. "I've been thinking about joining the baseball team when I get to high school."

Lindsay smiles. "He'd love that… but you actually want to do that, right? You never seemed into it when he suggested baseball before."

"Yeah, I like baseball," Oliver comments. "I haven't really played the actual game but we'd always go to the games in the summer."

"He'd ask if I or Matthew wanted to go every time," Lindsay remembers. "I'm not a big baseball fan, anyways, but I knew that the Tigers games were your thing, you and your dad." She puts her arm around him. "Well, you've got a couple years until high school. Think about it until then. He'd be proud of you no matter what you decide to do."

"Yeah," Oliver says sadly. "I know."

Lindsay sighs. "I know we never had quite the relationship that you and Dad had," she says. "But we can change that. You can talk to me about anything. I'm always here for you."

"Okay," Oliver says. "Thanks." He hesitates. "Mom, you aren't gonna, like… start dating someone else, are you?"

"What?" Lindsay asks, taken aback. "No, honey, no way. At least, not anytime soon, I promise you that."

"Good," Oliver says. "That'd just be…"

"Weird," they say in unison.

"Yeah, I know," Lindsay says. "No, I'm in no way, shape, or form ready for anything like that and I won't be for a long time. You and your brother are the only men I need in my life." She ruffles his hair and stands up. "I'm gonna take a shower. Are you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah," Oliver says.

"Call your girlfriend," Lindsay teases. "I'm sure she'll lift your spirits."

Oliver rolls his eyes as Lindsay exits his room.

…

It's entirely too hot out, however, Justin has spent the entire day outside with Oliver. Around four, he finally decides to head back home and grab something to eat. It's not like his dad is gonna cook dinner or anything, anyways.

He walks in the door and kicks off his sneakers.

"Where you been?" his father asks, his voice echoing from the kitchen.

"Out," Justin says casually as he walks down to the kitchen. "With Oliver."

"Yeah?" Daniel asks. He's smoking a cigarette, Justin notices. His mom would never let him do that inside if she were home. Daniel puts the cigarette out in an ashtray and notices Justin looking at it. "Our little secret, okay?"

"I thought you quit," Justin says.

"Yeah, that's only what your mom thinks," Daniel mutters.

Justin goes to one of the cabinets and pulls out a box of cereal. He pours himself a bowl and sits back down to eat. "Are you and Mom gonna get a divorce?" he inquires, his mouth full of Apple Jacks. "I mean, if she finds out you smoke."

Daniel stifles a laugh. "Kid, you think cigarettes are gonna end our marriage, after all we've been through?"

Justin shrugs. "It's just that you guys have been fighting."

"When?" Daniel asks. "We've been getting along great lately."

"The last week or so, yeah," Justin says. "But before."

"Mom and I are fine," Daniel insists. "Don't listen to her about that crap, okay?"

Justin puts his spoon down. "What crap?"

"She just… she makes it seem like we have all these problems when we don't," Daniel says. "Not anymore." He looks at his son. "I don't want you worrying about that anyway. It's not gonna happen and it shouldn't concern you right now."

"I'm not worried," Justin says. "I'm just wondering." He thinks for a moment. "It's just… Oliver just lost his dad, and I don't want, like, some sort of chain reaction of bad things happening. I… I don't want to lose, like, one of you or anything."

Daniel shakes his head. "Don't worry, kid. It's never gonna happen." The phone begins to ring and he stands up and walks to the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, it's me," Jackie says on the other line.

"Speak of the devil," Daniel says, and eyes his son to see if he notices. "How's it goin', babe?"

"Oh, it's fine," Jackie responds. "We're having a decent time. Alex and I visited my dad today and that made him pretty happy."

"Yeah?" Daniel asks. "Good. Tell him I say hey if you see him again."

"Of course," Jackie says. "How's Justin?"

Daniel looks over at his unaware son again. "He's just fine. Spent the whole damn day outside, I think, even though it's humid as hell out there."

"Yeah, it's pretty bad here, too," Jackie admits. "Well, we're about to eat dinner, so I'll talk to you tomorrow, maybe. I just… wanted to hear your voice."

Daniel cracks a smile. "Okay, babe. I miss you. Keep havin' a good time, alright?"

"Will do," Jackie responds. "Love you."

"Love you, too. Bye."


	6. Sometimes Always

It's been three days that Jackie and Alex have been at the Forman household. After being forced to go shopping with her mother and visiting her grandfather, Alex is exhausted.

Everyone has just finished dinner, and Eric is doing the dishes while Donna and Jackie talk amongst themselves. The kids have gone downstairs, it seems.

Eric hasn't talked much to Jackie. He's not too interested in her life now, as it doesn't seem very interesting anyway. He just continues doing the dishes as his wife listens to Jackie babble about her friends back home or something.

The door opens and Hyde walks in.

"Hey, man," Hyde says, looking at Eric. He notices Jackie sitting at the table and squints at her to make sure his eyes aren't deceiving him. "Well if it isn't Jackie Burkhart."

"Hello, Steven," Jackie says, politely acknowledging him.

"The kid hasn't been home in days," Hyde mentions, looking between Eric and Donna. "Usually he at least makes a point to stop by and, like, chat with me or something."

"Aw," Donna coos, "Sounds like somebody missed his son."

"Nah, man," Hyde says as he joins them at the table. "Just weird, that's all."

"I don't know, Hyde," Eric chips in, enjoying teasing his friend. "I think being a dad has turned you into a softie after all these years."

"Get bent," Hyde mutters, and leans back to look at his oldest friend. "Got any beer?"

Eric doesn't say anything, just goes to the fridge and throws him a can.

"Thanks, man," Hyde says, cracking it open. "So, uh, what brings you here, Jackie?"

"Just a visit," Jackie says coolly, sipping the glass of wine that sits in front of her. "My daughter came with me, so she's been hanging out with Lisa and your son."

"Ah, that's it," Hyde says, and belches. "It's a girl. That's why he won't come home."

Jackie shakes her head. "Alex has a boyfriend," she says. "It's not like that. Plus, it's _your_ son anyway. He's definitely not her type.

Hyde smirks. "Doesn't mean a thing. I wasn't your type either."

Jackie's jaw drops and Eric and Donna exchange confused looks.

"That… y-you weren't supposed to tell anyone," Jackie stammers, looking embarrassed.

"Wait, you guys hooked up?" Donna asks, baffled.

Jackie rolls her eyes in annoyance of having to explain the story. "It was the summer you went to California," she says, looking at Donna. "We were bored, okay? My dad caught me sneaking him in the house and that's why he sent me to Michigan. He was pissed."

"No way," Donna says, stifling a laugh.

"Wait, Jackie," Eric says, his voice pregnant with jest. "Isn't that the summer you came home pregnant?"

Hyde chokes on his beer as Jackie shoots daggers at Eric.

"Yes, Eric," Jackie says flatly. "But that was the end of the summer and Steven was in the beginning. I know the timeline." She rolls her eyes again and turns to Hyde. "Thanks for bringing that up, by the way."

"Wait," Donna says, laughing. "I've met her husband and he totally has a Hyde vibe to him. Hyde, did you turn her on to bad boys?"

Jackie smacks Donna on the arm and Hyde grins.

"Yeah, we're irresistible," Hyde revels, eyeing Jackie. "Sorry to bring that up. I just didn't want you shitting all over my son and being hypocritical."

"I was not going to shit all over him," Jackie says defensively. "I'm just saying, my daughter and her boyfriend are adorably obsessed with each other. There's no way she'd wind up fooling around with your son."

"Fine, man," Hyde says casually. "It was just a theory."

…

"Time for the nightly Mad TV session," Jimmy quips as he turns on the TV. Lisa has just gone upstairs so it's just Jimmy and Alex again.

"Yeah," Alex says, pulling her legs up on the couch next to her. "Your dad seems cool."

Jimmy sits down on the couch as well in his set place, on the opposite end of the couch. "Yeah, we're pretty close. He's only dated one person pretty much my whole life, and it only lasted like a year, so it's basically always just been me and him."

"What's the deal with your mom?" Alex asks, curious.

"Oh, that's a good one," Jimmy says, and scoots closer to Alex. "She's, uh… she used to be a stripper in Vegas. Dad knocked her up and didn't know, and one day she drops me off on his doorstep. Couldn't handle a kid anymore, I guess. I was only two when she did it, so I didn't remember her." He pauses for a moment. "She's some old guy's trophy wife now and likes to play mom to his two kids. I think they're in college now. I think when they got married she decided she wanted to be a mom again, so she called up my dad and said she wanted custody. There was this huge court thing and that's when I met her for the first and last time. Dad told her to piss off when he was granted full custody, and I basically had to tell her I didn't want her in my life."

"That's rough," Alex admits. "Did you, though?"

"Did I what?"

"Did you not want her in your life?"

Jimmy sighs. "Well, I don't now, that's for sure. At the time everything was just kind of terrifying, the thought of being pulled away from my dad and stuff. But it was cool to finally see the woman who gave birth to me. She just… she didn't seem very genuine, though. It all seemed fake, like she was trying to prove something by getting custody."

"Do you miss her?" Alex inquires.

"Hell no," Jimmy says with a slight laugh. "You can't miss what you never had… or rather, what you had for two seconds." He shrugs. "She's not a good person."

"I'm glad you aren't sad about it," Alex offers.

"Yeah, I guess that's the good thing." Jimmy looks at Alex. "I can't talk about stuff like this with Lisa, or my guy friends. Lisa basically is one of my guy friends, I guess."

"Well, you're a nice guy," Alex says, looking down. "You can feel free to tell me anything."

She locks eyes with him and knows she should look away, but she can't. Jimmy leans in and kisses her, soft on the lips. She kisses back and when they break apart she realizes what she's done.

"I've been wanting to do that since I saw you," Jimmy admits. "You know, you're not like the other girls I've talked to before. You're a lot different. Better."

Alex bites her lip. "I-I should've told you… I have a boyfriend. I don't know why I didn't say anything."

"Oh," Jimmy says, surprised. "Um…" He looks down and tries to hide his disappointment. "I shouldn't have done that; I mean, it was totally unwarranted."

"No, no it wasn't," Alex insists. "That's the bad thing." She frowns. "Oh my God, I'm an awful person."

Jimmy shakes his head. "No, you aren't. You're great. That was my mistake, okay?" He places his hand on her leg without thinking and he winces as he notices, pulling it away. "Let's just… let's just watch TV like we always do."

"Okay," Alex agrees, feeling guilty as hell but also feeling like she wants do it again. She loves Matthew like crazy, but there's something that opened up in her mind when Jimmy kissed her. There's something about him that intrigues and attracts her.

Jimmy stares at the TV but is unable to focus. Instead, he's paying attention to the fact that he didn't move to the end of the couch after he kissed her and is wondering if she thinks it's weird that he didn't. He tries to shake it off. Why is a girl getting in his head so much? It's only a position on the couch. He glances over at her as she keeps her eyes glued to the TV. It's so apparent that her mind is elsewhere, though.

"I-I'm really sorry," Jimmy apologizes again.

"It's fine," Alex says quickly, still staring at the TV. "Really, like I said, it wasn't your fault."

"I kissed you," Jimmy points out. "How is it not my fault?"

"Because I kissed back," Alex says, and quietly adds, "And because I really, really liked it."

Jimmy feels his heart jump in his chest and tries to repress the feeling. Alex can feel his eyes on her but she knows it's best not to look his way.

"I haven't even called him since I've been here, I realized," Alex admits. "I think I've just been a little too caught up in hanging out with you," she nervously adds, looking down at her nails.

"Would you—" Jimmy stops and thinks about the words that are about to come out of his mouth. "Would you stop me if I kissed you again?"

Alex doesn't say anything for a moment until she finally turns to him and kisses him hard on the mouth.


	7. Box of Rain

Lindsay slams the door as she enters her home and she hears her phone ringing.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," she mumbles as she rushes to answer it. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Alex."

"Oh, hi, honey," Lindsay says. "You know, Matthew actually isn't here right now. I noticed his bike is gone. Can't imagine where he went off to."

"Oh." Alex sounds disappointed. "I haven't talked to him since I've been here."

"Really?" Lindsay asks, surprised. "You haven't called?"

"No," Alex responds. "It's just been pretty busy, visiting everyone and everything."

"Yeah, I understand," Lindsay says. "How is it there? You having fun?"

"Yeah," Alex says quickly. "I mean, not too much, of course."

"Well, how could you with your mother there," Lindsay jokes, and hears the call waiting signal. "Alright, well, I'll tell Matthew you called, okay?"

"Okay, thanks," Alex says. "Bye."

Lindsay clicks over to the other call. "Hello?"

"Lindsay." It's her father's voice on the other line. "We haven't spoken to you in weeks. What the hell have you been doing?"

"I've been busy, Dad," Lindsay mutters. "Things aren't so easy now, you know?"

"All the more reason to talk to your family," Harold points out. "Your mother's worried sick about you and the boys, you know that? You should at least keep us updated on how you're doing."

"Sorry, Dad," Lindsay says, her voice somewhat flat.

"You should come over for dinner tonight," Harold says. "You and the boys. Your mother would be so happy."

Lindsay thinks about it. "I don't see why not," she agrees. "Sam gonna be there?"

"No, he came over last week," Harold says. "He's exhausted now between work and taking care of an toddler."

"Imagine how I feel with two kids," Lindsay says in annoyance. "And at least he has Natalie."

"Now, this isn't a game of who's got it harder, Lindsay," Harold scolds. "You wouldn't have gotten to where you are today if your mother and I didn't help you with Matthew, might I remind you." He pauses. "Plus, you had good kids. That Kate, she's cute but she's a nightmare. Trust me, your mother babysits her all the time."

Lindsay sadly smiles. She misses her niece. "Okay, Dad, we'll come by in an hour, or whenever I can find Matthew."

"Okay," Harold says. "Bye."

"Bye," Lindsay echoes and hangs up the phone. "Oliver!"

No response. He must have walked down to the Desarios.

She calls the house and tells Justin to send her son home. When Oliver arrives, so does Matthew.

"Where were you?" Lindsay asks her eldest son.

"Just went for a bike ride," Matthew says. "It's boring without Alex here."

"Okay, well, we're going to Grandma and Grandpa's for dinner," Lindsay tells them. "So pack up."

…

"You're never going to guess who I ran into the other day," Harold comments as the family eats around the table.

Lindsay looks at her father. "Okay, who?"

"Your old friend Nick," Harold says. "He's turned out to be a pretty stand-up guy. You should see him." He takes another bite of his potatoes. "I invited him over for dinner this weekend. You should come, too."

"I heard he's just like his dad now," Lindsay comments.

"What, like old 'No Personality Anthony Andopolis?" Harold asks, and shakes his head. "No, I mean he's a military man but it's only matured him. He still seems like the same guy. He was genuinely happy to see me."

"Huh." Lindsay frowns. "Well, if he's coming Friday, I can't. I'm teaching my night class."

"Lindsay, it's summer," Jean says. "Why are you teaching classes now?"

"It's community college, Mom," Lindsay says. "That means I'm getting a paycheck the entire year. It's a good thing."

"Well, he's coming Saturday," Harold says. "Bring the kids. I'm sure he'd get a kick out of you being a mom now."

Lindsay snorts and she takes a bite of her food.

"Who is he?" Matthew asks, curious.

"Oh, he's one of those guys she used to hang out with high school," Jean says to her grandson. "There was Nick, and Daniel, and… the one with the sideburns, what was his name?"

"Ken," Lindsay says. "Daniel still talks to him sometimes."

"I always forget that you're still friends with Daniel," Harold says. "Boy, was he a troublemaker back in the day."

Matthew stifles his laughter. "That's my girlfriend's dad you're talking about."

"That's right," Jean says. "He's Alex's father."

"Well, I hope she doesn't take after him too much," Harold comments. "Can't let a smart young man like yourself get corrupted by a bad influence."

Lindsay hides a small smile and glances at Matthew. Her father hasn't changed a bit.

"She's nowhere near a bad influence, Grandpa," Matthew says, grinning. "Mom can vouch for me."

"I'm just making sure," Harold remarks.

The family resumes eating in silence for a moment.

"You've been quiet," Jean comments, looking at her younger grandson. "What's new with you, Oliver? Anything?"

Oliver shrugs. "Nothing really since school got out."

"You've gotta make sure you stay productive," Harold points out. "If you do nothing all summer your brains'll turn to mush."

"Okay, Harold," Jean says. "He's only twelve. You don't need to lecture both of them; I'm sure Lindsay's got that covered."

"He stays busy anyway," Lindsay adds. "He's never really just sitting around watching TV. He's always gotta be out on his bike with Justin."

"That's good," Harold says. "At least he's not sitting inside all day playing those video games."

"And I can't seem to get Matthew to stop studying," Lindsay adds.

"That's what I like to hear," Harold says proudly. "Just like you were, huh, Linds?"

"Yeah," Lindsay says with a nod.

"Now what are you doing homework for in the summer?" Jean inquires, looking at Matthew.

Matthew shrugs. "It's for AP classes. I get to take them now that I'm gonna be an upperclassmen, and they all give summer homework."

"Oh, AP classes," Jean comments. "Keep it up and you could get a scholarship when it comes time for college."

"That's the plan," Lindsay says, grinning at her son.

"How is Alex?" Jean asks.

"She's good," Matthew says. "She's in Wisconsin right now with her mom."

"Yeah, I think he's going crazy without her," Lindsay says. "They've spent every day together this summer."

"Wow," Jean comments looking at Matthew, then turns to her daughter. "You really got lucky with these two, you know that?"

"I know," Lindsay says, a small smile appearing on her face.

"There's still time," Matthew jokes. "I can always rebel."

"Yeah, you know, your mother went through a phase when she turned sixteen," Jean says. "Scared me to death that summer when I found out you weren't at math camp."

Oliver and Matthew look at their mother in surprise.

"Well, where'd you go?" Oliver asks.

Lindsay laughs and shakes her head.

"No, tell them," Harold insists. "Tell them how silly you were as a teenager."

Lindsay rolls her eyes. "Okay. I followed the Grateful Dead for a while with my friend."

"Grateful Dead?" Oliver asks. "What is that?"

"Sounds scary, right?" Jean comments.

"It's a band, Ollie," Lindsay says as Matthew laughs.

"Mom, I didn't know you were a deadhead," he utters.

"It was just a phase," Lindsay said, a small smile on her face.


	8. Telephone Lines

"I was hoping I'd run into one of you."

Jackie whips around from where she stands in the wine aisle of the drug store.

"Andy!" Jackie gives the tall, blue-eyed man a hug. "What are the odds that you'd be home when I'm in town?"

Andy Warren grins shyly. "To be honest, I had run into Donna last week and she told me you were coming. I, uh, made sure I'd be around in case you wanted to catch up."

"Oh, you are too sweet," Jackie says, smiling. "Yeah, Alex came with me. Justin wanted to stay home, though."

"Too bad, I miss the little guy," Andy comments.

"He's not so little now," Jackie admits. "He's thirteen and taller than me."

"Well, you're not too hard to beat," Andy says teasingly. "I'm surprised you made it out here. This is the first time since… well, the last time I saw you, right?"

"Yeah," Jackie says with a nod. "It's just been… busy, you know."

"I know all about it," Andy says. "You know me, I don't stop working."

"Oh, I remember," Jackie says. "I did live with you for a year."

"Yeah." Andy looks lost in thought for a moment, then returns. "Hey, you doing anything tonight? I'd love for us to be able to catch up."

Jackie thinks about Daniel and how pissed he'd be if he even knew that they were talking right now. "Oh, I can't impose," she says. "I'm sure Donna's going to want me to help with dinner anyway."

"It's no imposition at all," Andy insists. "And Donna would understand. Don't make me beg, Jackie." He shoots her a smile.

"Okay," Jackie says. "I was just kind of killing time right now. If you aren't busy we can catch up for a little bit when you're done shopping."

Andy picks up a bottle of cabernet sauvignon. "All I need is right here."

So, they check out and drive separately to Andy's house. They catch up, naturally, and before Jackie notices it, she's finished three glasses of wine, as has Andy.

"So," Andy finally says, "How's Daniel?"

"He's… Daniel," Jackie admits. "He didn't want me to come, I don't think."

"He never liked me," Andy points out.

"Yeah, he mentioned something about you before I left," Jackie openly says.

"Well, what did he say?" Andy inquires.

"He just didn't want me reaching out to you," Jackie tells him. "He would've rather us not catch up, I guess."

Andy snorts. "Guy was always threatened by me."

"Yes," Jackie agrees. "And with absolutely no reason to be. I never gave him any reason. We were always friends, that's all."

"Oh, I know," Andy says somewhat snarkily. "You know, for the longest time I thought you were just planning on working it out with him eventually… that's why you held back."

"Held back?" Jackie asks.

"From, uh—" Andy clears his throat. "From me." His face slightly flushes. "But then you went and hooked up with that guy you knew from school, so I knew that wasn't it… that we were just friends."

"Andy," Jackie says gently.

"Does Daniel know about that?" Andy asks. "I'm sure he wouldn't hate me nearly as much if he did."

"No," Jackie confesses. "And he never will." She bites her lip and looks up at her friend. "Andy, you know that things were just weird back then… and then, Daniel came back and I did what I thought was right and I went back with him."

"What you thought was right," Andy echoes. "So are you saying it wasn't?"

Jackie is quiet for a moment and then sighs. "I… I don't know. I think it was good for the kids. I think it was good at the time… I'm just not sure if it, overall, was good for me."

"Jackie, the guy's a total ass," Andy declares. "He cheated on you, he's always picked arguments with you… you told me all this shit before, remember?" He frowns. "And you know _I_ was the guy to take you and your kids in. _I_ was the one to be there for you the whole time, and the kids for that matter."

"I didn't ask you to do any of that," Jackie says defensively and sighs. "You can't get mad that I didn't choose you, Andy."

Andy is now visibly pissed. "Yeah, but why not choose me, Jackie?" He stands up and paces as he talks. "I work way harder than that guy ever has. I've always respected you, treated you and your kids well, and I never asked for anything back."

"And I appreciate all of that, but we were friends," Jackie points out. "That kind of shit doesn't mean I'm gonna magically fall in love with you. Would it have been convenient? Of course, but love doesn't work that way. Do I want to be in love with a sneaky jackass who cheated on me and drinks way too much and seems like he doesn't care about my feelings sometimes? No, but that's what happens." Jackie angrily wipes away a tear from her eye that was threatening to fall. "You can't help what you feel, Andy. That's why I never bothered you about how you felt. Because I know you can't help it."

Andy sighs. "Yeah, well, maybe us catching up was a mistake," he admits. "Maybe part of me was hoping you'd realized you're too good for Daniel and that maybe you loved me."

"I'm sorry I can't give that to you," Jackie sadly apologizes, and grabs his hand. "I'll always be your friend, Andy." She stands up and lets his hand go. "I should get back to Donna's. They're probably wondering where I am anyway."

"Okay, Jackie," Andy says. "Bye."

Jackie gives him a sad look and leaves his house.

…

"Have you talked to Matthew?" Jackie inquires, looking at her daughter who is sitting next to her at the table.

Alex shifts uncomfortably in her seat, eyeing Jimmy. "Um, no. I called once and he wasn't home."

"He must be bored as hell without you there," Jackie comments.

"Yeah, well…" Alex pushes around the pasta on her plate. "He's got a bunch of homework to keep him occupied."

"Yeah, I'm sure homework is just as entertaining as you are," Jackie says sarcastically.

Alex stands up. "I'm not feeling that good. I'm gonna go downstairs and just watch TV."

"Oh, honey, what's wrong?" Jackie asks, looking at her daughter with concern.

"Um, headache," Alex lies.

"Okay," Jackie says.

"Drink some water," Donna offers as Alex goes downstairs.

She feels so disgusted with herself. After all the times she's told Matthew she wanted to wait to have sex, suddenly she's okay with losing her virginity to nearly a stranger?

Alex flops on the couch and turns on the TV, hearing footsteps on the stairs behind her. Probably Jimmy. However, she's surprised to be faced with Lisa.

"Hey," Lisa greets halfheartedly, sitting next to Alex on the couch.

"Hey," Alex responds.

"So, uh…" Lisa awkwardly pauses. "Jimmy told me about… you know."

"Did he tell you I have a boyfriend?" Alex asks, disgust present in her tone. "Ugh, I hate myself."

"Listen, I just wanted to tell you, you know, before he comes down here, that… well, he really likes you," Lisa says. "You're all he's been able to talk about since you got here, and… I know you have a boyfriend and I know you're leaving in a couple days, but just let him down easy, okay?" She looks at Alex who slowly nods. "It's the first time I think he's ever felt this way about a girl and I don't want it to ruin him completely." She laughs. "I mean, he already is pretty fucked up."

Alex sadly smiles. "I don't think he's fucked up at all. I think he's a really good, cool person." She looks up at Lisa. "You must really care about him, to go behind his back and tell me something like that. You're like a protective sibling."

Lisa slightly laughs. "Yeah, well, he is like my older brother, you know? Neither of us has any siblings and I've known him my whole life. That's why it's so shocking to me to see him like this."

Pounding footsteps are heard on the stairs as Jimmy quickly descends the staircase.

"What're you guys doing hanging out?" he asks, slightly confused.

"Oh, I was just telling her some headache remedies I've heard of," Lisa lies.

"Cool." Jimmy sits in between them on the couch and instinctively puts his arm behind Alex on the couch.

Alex instantly forgets her guilt and cuddles into him without thinking about it. Jimmy looks at her and grins.

"That's about all I can take of you two," Lisa admits, standing up. "I'm going upstairs. Be good, please."

Jimmy laughs in response as Lisa goes upstairs. He looks down at the small girl whose head is on his shoulder. "Comfy?"

"Yeah," Alex says as Jimmy snakes his hand around her waist. "Jimmy, I know we really, really shouldn't be doing this," she says, her voice small.

"Yeah," Jimmy agrees. "What about it, though?"

Alex gives a little sigh. "I don't know. I wish I could stop this but there's literally something inside me that won't let me. Maybe I just have no self control."

Jimmy lifts up Alex's chin with his hand so that she's looking at him. "No, that's not it. I understand the feeling, though, because I feel it, too." He leans in and kisses her on the lips.

Alex sighs again, this time out of contentment, and lays her head on his shoulder again.


	9. Our Shitty, Shitty Lives

"Fucking lunatic," Daniel mutters as a car cuts him off.

He's on his way home from work and can't wait to get home and start on the six-pack he just bought.

Daniel sighs and thinks about his wife. He misses her. If she knew how drunk he plans on getting tonight, she'd be pretty pissed. He doesn't care, though. He doesn't have many friends to drink with him nowadays, and it's not like Jackie's here to bitch about it.

He frowns, thinking about how annoying she's been lately, talking about their problems. The last big fight they had had to be a month ago, at least. He thinks about it all, everything she said… well, it was nothing she hadn't ever said before.

" _I hate you," Jackie spat, seething. "Don't you ever touch me again, you asshole."_

" _I lightly pushed you," Daniel said in annoyance._

" _That still is no way to treat your wife," Jackie insisted._

" _Yeah, and you think the way you treat me is ideal?" Daniel bellowed. "You, fuckin', you hound me all the time. You won't let me forget about the one time, Jackie, the one fuckin' time that I did something worthy of being pissed over."_

" _You cheated on me!" Jackie screamed. "You betrayed me! You're lucky I ever forgave you."_

" _Yeah, I'm lucky," Daniel sarcastically says. "I am just so lucky that I have you, what with all the shit you accomplish, all the money you bring home."_

" _Oh my God." Jackie seethed and turned around, hiding the tears in her eyes. "You're such a jerk." She wiped her eyes. "I can't believe I have to deal with this for the rest of my life."_

" _Oh, great, Jackie. Crying because you have to be married to me, that's just great," Daniel retorted._

" _I should have just stayed in Wisconsin!" Jackie yelled. "Should have stayed with Andy; you know, he treated me better than you ever have."_

" _Yeah, and I guess I should've just stayed with Kim!" Daniel screamed. "She never bitched at me this much!"_

 _Jackie went silent and disappeared; Daniel didn't know where she went. Five minutes later, she emerged from their room with a packed bag._

" _I'm leaving," Jackie said. "I'm going somewhere else where I don't have listen to a stupid, drunk asshole!"_

 _Before Daniel could say anything more, Jackie walked out the front door. He didn't bother going after her. There was no place for her to go, anyway._

Daniel scowls at the memory. Sure, it was pretty bad but it's not like he meant any of the things he said. He was mad. She knows that he loves her, and he's made it very clear as of late.

He pulls into the driveway and sees Lindsay walking away from his front porch. She stops and walks over to him as he gets out of the car.

"What're you doing here, Linds?" Daniel asks.

"Well, my dad told me he ran into Nick the other day," she tells him. "He's going over there for dinner tonight and apparently so am I." She pauses. "I don't know, I just figured I should tell you."

Daniel makes a confused face. "Why?"

"Because Nick was your best friend," Lindsay says. "I didn't know if you'd want to come, too, or if you'd be happy he's alive, or what."

"You'll have to tell me how it goes," Daniel remarks. "What he's like. That's what I'll be interested to hear about."

"Okay," Lindsay says. "I'm just saying, my dad said he seemed normal."

"What your dad considers normal and what I consider normal are two different things," Daniel reminds her.

Lindsay shrugs. "I guess you're right. I'll let you know how it goes. See you later."

Daniel watches her walk off and quickly grabs the six-pack from his truck, keeping it by his side just in case Lindsay happens to turn around. He and Lindsay were friends first but that wouldn't stop her from telling his wife.

He enters the house, puts the beer on the counter, and tries to scope out whether or not his son is home.

"Mom would be mad," Justin's voice says from behind him.

Daniel jumps. "Jesus, kid, you scared the shit out of me." He pauses. "Yeah, I know she'd be mad. That's why we're not gonna tell her, okay?"

"I guess so," Justin says and begins walking to his room.

"Hey, now, come on," Daniel says. "I know that tone, okay? You're judging me."

"There's just a lot of things you don't want Mom to know that you're doing," Justin points out. "And, like, the only proves my point of what I said the other day."

"What, about divorce?" Daniel shakes his head. "I told you; don't worry. These are harmless little white lies, you know? Happens all the time in marriages."

"All I'm saying is I can't think of any white lies Mom's ever told," Justin says, shrugging.

"Yeah, well, you're a kid," Daniel says, defensive. "You don't know everything about us."

Justin shrugs again and walks away.

…

Lindsay enters her parents' house, no kids in tow.

"Lindsay." Jean smiles warmly from where she stands in the kitchen. "Where are the boys?"

"Oh, Matthew's with Barry," Lindsay explains. "And, uh, Ollie begged me to take him to the movies with one of his little girl friends. Her mom is giving them a ride home."

Jean shakes her head with a small smile. "I can't believe how big he's getting."

"Yeah, same here." Lindsay peers over in the other room. "Is Nick here?"

"Yeah, he's talking to your father in his office," Jean says.

Lindsay gives her mother a look. "Why are they in there?"

"Nick's trying to show him how to use that computer we got," Jean says. "I told him it would be a waste of money, but here it is, still sitting in your old bedroom collecting dust as neither of us can figure out what on Earth it's supposed to do."

"Hmm." Lindsay strolls down the hall and enters her father's office, a.k.a. her old bedroom. She sees Nick right away leaning on the computer desk; he's hard to miss given his height. He looks pretty much the same, albeit with a little bit more weight on him then before.

"Nick," Lindsay says, and he looks over at her.

"Lindsay!" Nick walks over to her and gives her a quick hug. "Wow, you look incredible. Exactly the same after all of these years."

"Yeah, well, thank you," Lindsay says politely. "You look pretty much the same, too!"

"Yeah, sure, plus twenty pounds," Nick jokes. "I'm just, uh, helping out your dad here with this computer."

"I'm never going to understand it," Harold states, standing up from the computer chair. "I'll let you get reacquainted. I'm going to go see if your mother needs any help in the kitchen."

Lindsay watches her father exit the room, then looks at her ex-boyfriend. "So, what's new with you? I've heard… things from Ken and Daniel."

"You still talk to them?" Nick asks, surprised.

"Yeah, Daniel's actually my neighbor," Lindsay says. "His daughter is dating my son, weirdly enough."

"No way," Nick says. "How old are they now, anyway?"

"Alex and Matthew are fifteen," Lindsay says. "I have another son, too, Oliver. He's twelve and happens to be best friends with Daniel's son as well."

"Wow, who'd have thought you two would stay in contact all these years?" Nick wonders aloud. "You're married, I'm guessing?"

Lindsay winces but tries to keep an upbeat look on her face. "Hey, I asked you what's new with you first," she reminds him. "You never answered."

"Okay, fine," Nick agrees. "I'm… well, I'm a giant mess, I guess, which shouldn't come as that big of a surprise. I joined the military, got married, and we never had kids, which I guess is a good thing. She left me six months ago because I was too boring and apparently had a stick up my ass."

"Ooh." Lindsay gives him an apologetic look. "I can't picture you being remotely like that, if it's any consolation."

"Oh, no, I was," Nick admits. "I think it was the Army getting to me. I figured I should be like my dad and I was pretty much just walking around all pissed off all the time. So, after she left me, I quit my job and now I'm the basketball coach at McKinley and I literally wash dishes on the weekends at a bar. Glamorous, right?"

"Well, you certainly don't seem like you have a stick up your ass anymore," Lindsay points out. "Maybe all of that was a good thing."

"Nah." Nick shoves his hands in his pockets. "None of it was. It's all just a big… regret, I guess." He looks down on the ground for a moment, then back up at Lindsay. "What about you, huh? I bet you're, like, some big shot lawyer or something now, huh?"

"Nick, you're forgetting I had a kid when I was basically a teenager," Lindsay points out, slightly laughing. "No, I… I screwed it up for myself, too. But I was happy about it, for a while. Things really worked out. You know, I had my job as a professor, my wonderful family… I couldn't regret any of that."

"I'm sensing a 'but'," Nick says.

"But," Lindsay says, hesitant. "My husband died a month and a half ago. Car accident. Now I'm just a single mom of two boys who teaches and can barely afford the bills. My life is lame, too. Same boat, Nick."

Nick gives her a sympathetic look, unsure of what to say. "I'm really sorry to hear that, Lindsay," he finally says.

"It's life," Lindsay says. "I'll be fine eventually."

"Well, if you ever need someone to bitch to or mutually complain with, I'm here for you," Nick says, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks," Lindsay responds, forcing a smile. "You really should reach out to Daniel, you know? He doesn't really hang out with anyone anymore. He could use a friend and it seems like you could, too."

"What about Ken?" Nick asks. "I thought he still hung out with him."

"Oh, barely," Lindsay says. "Ken had a daughter two years ago and now he hardly ever comes out."

"Huh, weird," Nick says. "Well, it'd be nice to see Daniel again. Never really understood why we stopped talking. He probably thought I was a giant dick."

"I don't know," Lindsay lies, and they walk out of the office and into the kitchen to have dinner.


	10. Apologies Make Good Stories

"Last night, huh?" Jimmy asks, looking at where Alex sits across from him. "I bet you can't wait to get home."

Alex shrugs. "I don't know, I mean… I've had fun here, too." She blushes and mentally kicks herself. "I shouldn't have had as much fun as I did, but…"

Jimmy waits for her to finish her sentence, and when she doesn't, he simply nods with a smirk on his face. "I'm really glad I met you," he suddenly says, looking in her eyes.

A tiny smile appears on Alex's face. "I'm glad I met you, too." She pauses, thinking. "I kind of assumed you'd stop talking to me once we had sex."

"Well, I've been that guy before," Jimmy admits. "There's something about you. I don't know, I just… really like you."

Alex blushes again, fighting the stupid smile that keeps appearing on her face. "That makes this so much more complicated, though." She thinks about Matthew and frowns. "I never thought I'd do this, you know? I swear, I'm not that person."

"Maybe we're soul mates," Jimmy casually says, causing Alex to laugh and then feel foolish when she realizes he was serious.

"I… I don't know," she finally says, shrugging.

"Are you gonna tell your boyfriend?" Jimmy asks.

Alex bites her lip. "I'm honestly not sure. I just want to see how I feel when I get back."

Jimmy nods, visibly disappointed.

"It's not like anything serious could've happened between us anyway," Alex points out. "You're all the way out here and I live in Michigan."

"We'll see each other again, though," Jimmy states.

Alex thinks about that, and how strange it will be. "Yeah, I guess we will."

"I wonder what things will be like then," Jimmy says.

"Maybe you'll have a girlfriend by then who is ten times better than me," Alex comments. "You'll forget all about me and then I'll come back here and you'll have to awkwardly dodge conversations with me."

"That will never happen," Jimmy says, his voice serious. "I know how I feel."

"Yeah, but we're young," Alex says. "You can think you feel the strongest feelings ever and they won't compare to what you'll feel in the future."

"Are you talking about me or you?" Jimmy asks, giving her a knowing look.

"I'm just putting things out there," Alex simply says. "Anything can happen."

Jimmy nods slowly. "Yeah, and that leaves us with the possibility that the next time you come visit, things will be exactly the same… between us, I mean." He leans towards her and affectionately tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "I hope it will be."

Alex's eyes are wide as she looks into his blue ones, and he leans in and kisses her.

…

"What time are you leaving tomorrow?" Donna asks her friend before sipping the beer in her hand.

"I was thinking around nine," Jackie comments. "I want to get home before dinnertime."

"Well, I'm glad you got to stay almost a full week," Donna says. "You got to see everyone, even Andy."

"Yeah, and Daniel would've killed me if he knew," Jackie admits. "Then again, it didn't go so well, so I guess he was right."

"Not at all," Donna says with a slight laugh. "Daniel gets mad because he thinks you're gonna cheat on him with Andy, since Andy really likes you and everything. It's not because he's some sage man who knows which friendships work out and which don't."

"I guess so," Jackie says with a shrug. "He even brought up Caleb Black, did I tell you that?"

Donna gives Jackie a weird look. "Caleb Black?"

"The guy I slept with when Daniel and I were separated," Jackie clarifies quietly. "The guy in my class in high school? Quarterback?"

"Yeah, I remember now," Donna says. "What did he say about it? He didn't threaten to tell Daniel or something, did he?"

"No, nothing like that," Jackie utters. "He just said he thought I couldn't move on from Daniel, and then I did that and he realized I just wasn't into him."

"I don't know why you never were," Donna admits. "I mean, he's cute, he's got money, he's—"

"I don't need to hear the reasons from you, too, okay?" Jackie snaps. "I just never felt anything for him… and I wanted my family to work out."

"Fair enough," Donna says, putting her hands up in defeat. She changes the subject. "When's the last time you heard from Kelso or Fez?"

"Oh, it must have been the last time you did, too," Jackie says, shrugging. "Fez's wedding."

"That was six years ago," Donna laments. "I wonder how they're doing. I bet Fez has kids now."

"I don't understand them," Jackie declares. "I mean, I live in another state and I keep in touch."

"You didn't until you had to move back," Donna points out. "If that didn't happen, maybe you never would have."

"Oh, I would have," Jackie retorts.

Donna simply shrugs.

The next day, Jackie sneaks past Jimmy sleeping on the basement couch and creaks open the door to Alex's room, waking her up. They leave after saying goodbye to Donna and Eric, while Alex thinks about Lisa and Jimmy… mostly the latter.

"So, you have fun?" Jackie asks.

"Yeah," Alex says bleakly.

"You probably can't wait to get home and see Matthew, huh?" Jackie tries again

"Yeah." Alex stares out the window.

"Okay, what's your deal?" Jackie asks, turning down the radio. "I'm playing my mix tape and you aren't even complaining about it."

"I don't know," Alex says with a shrug.

Jackie gives up and turns the radio back up, and Alex actually listens to the song.

 _Because your kiss_

 _Your kiss is on my list_

 _Because your kiss_

 _Your kiss, I can't resist_

 _Because your kiss is on my list of the best things in life_

"Mom, have you ever cheated?" Alex asks and almost instantly regrets it , assuming that her mother will see right through her.

Jackie freezes. "Oh, God… you heard me talking to Donna last night, didn't you?"

"Um…" Alex nods, relieved that her mother didn't think she was talking about herself. "Yeah."

"Oh, honey," Jackie says, her eyes looking worried as she remains fixated on the road. "Shit," she mumbles to herself, trying to come up with the words.

"Was it on Dad?" Alex asks, somewhat surprised.

"You can't ever tell him," Jackie says adamantly. "We were separated but he'd never forgive me."

"That's kind of bullshit, Mom," Alex points out. "He cheated on you when you were one hundred percent together."

"After all of the times I threw it in his face since it happened, he'd call me a hypocrite," Jackie says and sighs. "Yeah, it was when I was separated from your dad, you know, when we lived here years ago."

Alex nods, listening.

"I ran into this guy I went to high school with. He was kinda my male counterpart in my grade until I dropped out," Jackie laments. "You know, most popular guy in class, that type of thing. He asked to hang out, just to go out for a drink or something, so I did. We wound up going back to his place."

"Was it like… you knew it was wrong but you wanted to do it?" Alex inquires.

"No, I wanted to do it," Jackie states. "I was so pissed off at your father still, and I hadn't had sex in months."

"Ew, Mom," Alex says, making a face. Then, she turns serious again. "So, why didn't you end up dating this guy then? Did you not like him?"

"Oh, I definitely liked him," Jackie says. "He was hot, he thought I was cool, he had decent money… I just in the end felt too guilty because your father and I weren't divorced and I would have had to explain it all to you kids." She pauses. "That was another thing; he didn't have any kids. I had no idea how he would do with you two." She bites her lip. "And then, not long after, your dad came, crying for us to come back, and that's what I did."

"Why do you think Dad cheated on you?" Alex asks.

"We're getting into the serious stuff, huh?" Jackie asks, feeling slightly uncomfortable. "I-I don't know, honey. Because he's a stupid guy and he doesn't always think about the consequences to his actions. It's one thing to cheat when you're dating somebody but it's a complete other thing to cheat when you have a family, and… well, he didn't think about that."

"It was someone he dated in high school, right?" Alex asks.

"Yeah," Jackie says with a nod. "Kim fuckin' Kelly. You know, when I found out I was pregnant with you and I came back to be with your dad, she harassed the shit out of me. She threatened me a few times, until your dad finally told her to leave me the hell alone." She pauses. "She was friends with Lindsay before that."

"That's weird," Alex comments. "Did… did Dad tell you he cheated, or did you, like… catch them?"

"He told me," Jackie says. "That man can't tell a lie to save his life, at least, not to me. He cried when he told me and told me how bad he felt. It didn't make a difference, though, at least not then. Once I heard what he did, I knew I was leaving."

"I can't picture Dad crying," Alex admits.

"It's something I haven't seen much of," Jackie says, pissed off tone in tact because she's reliving the whole situation. "Can we not talk about your dad cheating on me anymore?"

"Yes," Alex says. She had heard all she needed to know.


	11. Friendly Discussion

Oliver sighs as he throws down his bike on his best friend's lawn. Today was not going as he had planned.

He strolls into the Desario house and notices it smells like smoke, which is odd.

"Jay!" He walks down the hall and goes to his Justin's room to find him sitting on his bed with headphones on.

Oliver walks over and waves his hand in front of Justin's face.

"Oh, hey," Justin mumbles, sliding the headphones off of his face.

"You good, dude?" Oliver asks.

"Yeah." Justin is silent for a moment. "Weird being alone, I guess. Usually my mom is always up my ass about something."

"Yeah, Matthew's at his dad's this weekend," Oliver tells him. "Kinda weird on my end too. Why's it smell like smoke in here?"

Justin scoffs. "That would be my dad. He's really living it up since my mom's been gone. She comes home tomorrow, though."

"Another fight in the making," Oliver comments. He knows how his friend's parents are. "My mom's hanging out with some dude."

Justin gives his friend a weird look. "Like a date?"

"She claims it's not," Oliver says. "She told me the other day she's not ready to date or anything, but I just don't know why she'd start hanging out with some guy already."

"Maybe they're friends," Justin offers.

"They used to date," Oliver replies flatly.

"It's not Matthew's dad?" Justin inquires.

Oliver shakes his head. "Before that." He sighs. "I broke up with Lauren."

"No way, dude, why?" Justin asks, suddenly sitting up in his bed.

"She was… I don't know, just kind of clingy," Oliver tells him, pulling out the chair at Justin's desk and sitting down. "I don't think I'm ready for that yet."

"Yeah, well, she was cute," Justin points out. "There's plenty of chicks out there, though."

"I liked her," Oliver admits. "There's, like, too much going on right now." He frowns. "I'm just really kind of pissed at my mom."

"Hey, man, if she said she's not ready to date, then she must not be," Justin says. "Our parents don't really have that many friends, and your mom is probably just lonely… especially since my mom's been gone this week."

"Yeah, well, she could've hung out with your dad," Oliver mutters.

"What, and ruin all of his binge-drinking fun?" Justin retorts. "He knows she'd tell my mom." He pauses. "I actually want her to come home, you know?"

Oliver smirks. "Never thought I'd hear you say that." He gives his friend a serious look. They don't often talk about their problems, so this was kind of strange. "You think she'll know?"

"Definitely," Justin says. "You noticed that the house smelled. He's just being weird. He won't admit that there are any problems and it's just getting annoying."

"Yeah, well, that sucks," Oliver admits. He thinks about his own dad, but he's not trying to start a pity party. At least his parents never fought like Justin's did.

"Wanna play Nintendo?" Justin asks, eager to escape the depressing mood that has now taken over his room.

"Sure."

The pair heads out to the living room.

…

"So, anyway, she was pretty much the best thing that ever happened to me, and I screwed it all up," Nick finishes, taking a final sip of his beer. He looks at Lindsay, who is sitting across from him at her kitchen table. "Now, tell me your sob story."

"I'd rather not," Lindsay admits, biting her lip.

"Come on," Nick coaxes. "It's healthy to talk about these things."

Lindsay shakes her head. She doesn't want to end up crying and having Nick consoling her. That'd just be too awkward for her.

"Fine," Nick says, defeated. "Tell me about your boys."

"Well, Matthew is simply wonderful," Lindsay tells him, her face lighting up at the thought of her eldest. "He's smart and funny and has been so helpful since everything has happened."

"Well, I know who your favorite is," Nick jokes. "Alright, what about the other one?"

"Oliver is…" Lindsay trails off for a moment. "He's so great, don't get me wrong. He's just… he's distant, you know? He was always closer with Scott anyways, and God, he's just like him, so it makes it a little hard sometimes." She looks down at the table. "He's so close with Daniel's kid. I'm just glad he has a friend to help him get through this."

Nick can sense Lindsay's discomfort and feels bad for the topic somehow winding up right where she didn't want it to go. "Yeah, well… how's Daniel?"

A sigh of relief escapes Lindsay. "Oh, he's Daniel." A weak smile appears on her face. "His wife is my best friend, and she's really getting to her wit's end with him, I think. They were separated for a while some years back."

"No kidding," Nick replies with a smirk, dryly adding: "You're telling me Daniel is difficult to get along with?"

Lindsay stifles a laugh. "Well, he cheated on her with Kim."

Nick's eyebrows shot up. "God, they're like… a terrible story that never ends."

"I think Jackie has nagged him enough that he knows better now," Lindsay admits. "Although it shouldn't have ever gone that far, and he's still a mess."

"I wouldn't mind catching up with him," Nick comments. "You mentioned he barely talks to Ken anymore?"

"Not since he had his daughter," Lindsay tells him. "He could use a friend, though. He'd never admit it, but he really could." She pauses. "I'm sure his wife would really appreciate it."

"Well, give him my number," Nick says. "I've been needing a friend, too." He smiles at Lindsay. "I'm really glad we're hanging out. Feels like it's been so long since I've had a friend that wasn't, like, a teenaged coworker of mine or something."

"Yeah, it's nice," Lindsay agrees. "Jackie's been gone this past week and… well, honestly, I love her but I know she doesn't totally get what I'm going through." She bites her lip. "I mean, I guess you may not totally get it, either, but it's a little bit more similar." She bitterly laughs. "You've gone through a divorce, meanwhile, she's just one step closer to one."

Nick sadly smiles. "Loss is loss, and… it hurts." He gives Lindsay a solemn look. "I know you're not quite ready to talk about it, but when you are… you know I'm here for you, Linds."

Lindsay smiles back at him as she feels tears well up in her eyes.

"Aw." Nick reaches out and puts his hand on top of hers.

"I'm fine," Lindsay tells him unconvincingly. "I promise I'm fine. Just… thank you for being a friend to me right now."

"Anytime," Nick replies soberly before standing up. "Maybe I should get out of here for now." He knows she's about to break down and that she doesn't feel comfortable doing it in front of him. "It was real nice talking with you." He pats her on the shoulder.

She sadly smiles and stands up to face him. "Of course. I'm glad you came over."

"Hey, don't forget to give Daniel my number," Nick reminds her.

"I won't," Lindsay assures him.

He reaches out to give her a quick hug, and she hugs him back. Suddenly, all the emotion floods her at once and she begins sobbing as he embraces her.

"Oh, Lindsay," he says wistfully, consoling her.

She doesn't dare pull her face away from him, because she's still not ready to talk. All she can do is cry.


	12. Nothing New

"Alex, help me get my bag out of the car!" Jackie snaps at her daughter, who is hastily making her way into the house as she tows her own bag.

"I'll just get Dad," Alex says, disappearing into the front door.

Jackie scoffs and begins wrestling with a piece of heavy luggage. The car ride wasn't awful, but she was beginning to feel slightly uneasy about the things she had told her daughter.

"Come on, you son of a bitch." She tugs on the black suitcase until it finally relents and one side of the handle tears off. She sighs in frustration. "Cheap ass suitcase."

Her husband appears in the doorway and makes his way over to her. "Let me help you with that." He wraps his arms around her and gives her a kiss. "Missed you, babe."

"I missed you, too," Jackie admits.

Daniel notices the broken handle and raises his eyebrows at his wife. "I had no idea you were so strong," he jokes.

"Yeah, if I were strong, I would've been able to get the damn thing out," Jackie mumbles.

"Maybe if you didn't pack like you were spending the entire summer there, this wouldn't have happened," Daniel points out as he pulls the suitcase out of the trunk. "How was your trip?"

"It was nice," Jackie comments. "Nice to get away." She grabs her purse out of the front seat and heads into the house, eager to see Justin. "Where's my baby?"

Daniel trails behind her after slamming the car trunk and enters the house. "He's with Oliver." He drops the suitcase on the floor and notices his wife glaring at him with her hands on her hips.

"You've been smoking," Jackie states.

"No, I had Ken over and he was smoking," Daniel lies.

"Bullshit." She sighs and grabs her suitcase by the busted handle, wheeling it down the hall into their bedroom. She can hear Daniel's footsteps following her, and she wishes he would just leave her alone.

"You're already mad at me," Daniel comments, standing in the doorway. "That didn't take long."

"You know, if you didn't give me a reason, I wouldn't be mad," Jackie tells him, irritated.

Daniel rolls his eyes. "Sweetheart, I _told_ you what happened."

"Why would you let Ken smoke in the house then?" Jackie asks, raising her eyebrows at him. "You know I wouldn't allow that."

"You know the guy; he lit up before I could say anything." He frowns at her. "Why do you always have to find a problem? You just like yellin' at me?"

Jackie groans. "No, I know how you are and I'm simply trying my best to keep you in check." She hears the door open. "Justin, honey?"

"Hey, Mom." Justin enters their bedroom and his mother rushes over and embraces him. He grimaces as she places a kiss on his head, but he's secretly happy that she's home.

"You miss me?" Jackie asks him.

"I guess," he mumbles in response.

"Well, I'm sure you stayed busy with Oliver," Jackie states. She eyes her husband for a moment and then looks back at her son. "You and Dad have fun with it being just you two? Or, wait, did he have _friends_ over?"

Justin gives her a weird look. Is she paranoid that his dad is cheating again? "No… why?"

Jackie gives Daniel a knowing look.

"Jackie, what the hell?" Daniel asks, sitting on the bed and smacking the mattress. "You can't ever let anything go?"

Justin gives his father a concerned look, wondering what he said, while Jackie steps closer to Daniel.

"No, I just would appreciate it if you didn't lie to me!" Jackie snaps. "And you can never admit you're wrong, either! You always get way too defensive, and—"

Justin has had enough, and he sneaks out of his parents' room as the arguing continues. He strolls past his sister's room and notices the door is open.

"Hey," he greets her, noticing her lying on her bed looking frustrated.

"And so it begins," Alex comments, nodding toward the direction of their parents' bedroom. "That didn't take long."

"I knew it would happen," Justin admits. "He was being dumb the whole time."

"Dumb like how?" Alex inquires, curious.

"Drinking and smoking," Justin tells her. "And now he's lying about it, I guess."

Alex rolls her eyes. "They're both so annoying. Like, just get a divorce." She leans her head back on her bed.

"Yeah," Justin replies, pretending to agree. "So why aren't you with Matthew already?"

"He's was at his dad's," Alex reminds him. "I mean… I was gonna call, but then I remembered that. I don't know when he'll be back."

"Oh." Justin looks down and hears the arguing escalate. "You think we should say something?"

Alex scoffs. "No way. I don't want to get mixed up in that." She pauses. "Hey, did you steal my headphones?"

"Oh… yeah," Justin replies. "I'll go get 'em."

…

An hour or so passes and Alex picks up the phone, dialing Matthew's home phone number despite the late hour.

"Hello?" he asks, picking up instantly.

"Hey," Alex says softly into the phone. "I'm glad you're up. When did you get back?"

"About an hour ago," Matthew tells her. "I saw your mom's car was back… kinda was waiting for you to call."

"Yeah, well, it's late, so…" Alex trails off. "I just need a distraction right now. My parents are having disgusting, loud make-up sex."

Matthew chuckles. "Gross." He pauses. "The ride home okay?"

"I guess," Alex replies. "It's just, like, I get home and everything's back to normal."

"Is that a good thing?" Matthew asks, and then thinks about her parents. "Oh, never mind. I guess it's not."

"Yeah," Alex mumbles quietly.

"I missed you," Matthew admits. "A lot… kinda sucked that I had to go to my dad's this weekend. I wanted to call you."

"Yeah, well… it was a busy week," Alex tells him.

"You have fun there, though?" Matthew asks.

"Mm… I guess." Alex thinks about what has happened and feels insanely guilty. "Never realized how similar Michigan and Wisconsin could be. There's nothing to do in either place."

"Well, at least I'm here," Matthew jokes. "God, I… I really miss you. Can't you sneak out or something?"

"Matthew, you know my dad would kill me," Alex reminds him.

"Yeah, well, your dad is pretty busy right now," Matthew points out, and Alex scoffs in disgust.

"I just feel bad for Justin; his room is right next to theirs," Alex says.

As if on cue, Justin appears in Alex's doorway.

"Can I borrow your headphones again?" he mumbles.

"No," Alex snaps. "They're all mine for the night once I'm off the phone."

Justin sighs and sits on her floor, while she continues talking on the phone.

…

Lying in bed, Daniel snakes an arm around his wife's waist. Jackie swats it away.

"Don't touch me," she utters sharply.

"Really? After all of that?" Daniel asks, a small grin on his face.

"Yup." Jackie closes her eyes, hugging her pillow.

"Sweetheart." His voice is soft. "I'm sorry, okay?" He replaces his arm, and this time she lets him. "I missed having you here with me."

"Yeah, well…" Jackie trails off for a moment. "Keep lying to me and I'm gone, okay?" She turns to face him. "I'm serious."

"I'm not gonna let that happen," Daniel responds, stroking her hair. "I'm not gonna lose you."

"Yeah, you are," Jackie tells him adamantly. "This… this needs to change… soon."

Daniel softly kisses her on her head. "I promise it will this time."

"You've said this so many times," Jackie points out.

"I know, baby." Daniel gives her an earnest look. "But losing you is not worth it. I know… I know you're gettin' fed up with me, and…" He trails off and she can see the hurt in his eyes.

"You make me believe you every time," Jackie states, inching closer to him.

"It's 'cause I mean it," Daniel tells her.

"But you never follow through," Jackie replies.

He pulls her close to him and she buries her face in his shoulder. "I will this time."

"You'd better mean it," Jackie mumbles into him.

He says nothing, just holds her tighter. She exhales deeply.

"I missed you," she says, moving her face up slightly.

"I missed you more, baby." He kisses her forehead. "I love you… don't leave me."

"Don't make me," she responds, her voice sleepy.

"I won't," he promises, stroking her hair again. "Fall asleep in my arms like you used to, alright?"

"Mm-hm," Jackie mumbles, already half-asleep.

He smiles and holds her close.


	13. Comfort, Passion, Confusion

The next morning, Matthew exits his room to find his mother and his girlfriend's mother chatting at their kitchen table.

"Hi, sweetie," Lindsay greets him as he walks past her.

"Hey." He looks at Jackie. "Hey, Mrs. D. Where's my girlfriend?"

Jackie smiles at Matthew. "She's still asleep, I think. Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be here as soon as she gets up."

"She'd better be," Matthew tells her with a small grin. "I miss that girl."

"Yeah, she misses you, too," Jackie tells him as he opens a cupboard and pulls out a box of cereal.

"So…" Lindsay feels slightly awkward continuing the subject that they were just on now that her son is in the room. She had been describing her newly rekindled friendship with Nick. "How was Daniel while you were gone?"

Jackie scoffs. "You already know." She frowned, resting an elbow on the table and placing her chin in her hand. "I told him he's on thin ice."

"Hasn't he been on thin ice?" Lindsay inquires after taking a sip of her coffee.

"Yeah, well… I really mean it this time." She taps her fingers on the table. "My dad wants us to come for Thanksgiving and I haven't told Daniel yet."

"Would he go?" Lindsay raises an eyebrow at her friend.

Jackie shrugs. "Probably not, but you know what? He can go to his mom's like we usually do and I can go back home for a few days or something… and I'll just see what the kids want to do."

"I'm sure he'll love that idea," Lindsay replied with a smirk. She knows her old friend well, and she knows their marriage probably better than the two of them do.

"Don't take my girl away from me again," Matthew tells Jackie, joining them at the table. "This past week was hard enough."

Lindsay beams at her son. She loves his adorable relationship with Jackie's daughter.

"Even if she wanted to go, it would only be for maybe three or four days," Jackie responds. "I definitely can't get away with leaving for an entire week again." She sighs and looks at Lindsay. "Maybe that'll be the ultimate test, you know? I can see if he behaves, and if he doesn't…" She bites her lip and gives her friend a look that finishes the rest of her sentence.

Matthew continues crunching his Frosted Flakes, feeling slightly awkward. However, he hears the door open and turns around to see Alex.

"Hey!" Matthew instantly shoots up from his chair and goes to her.

"Hi," Alex replies, grinning as he envelopes her in an embrace.

"Perfect timing," he murmurs in her ear. "Things were getting a little awkward."

Alex withdraws from him and gives him a confused look.

"Hey, Al," Lindsay greets. "You have fun with your mom?"

Alex shrugs. "I guess so."

"Oh, please," Jackie responds to her daughter, then turning to look at Lindsay. "She spent so much time with Donna's daughter Lisa." She looks back at Alex. "I think you just don't want to admit you're hanging out with a girl."

"Yeah, well… Lisa's, like, _barely_ a girl," Alex tells her. "Most of her friends are guys, too." Her face flushes as she is reminded of whom she actually spent most of her time with.

"Whatever," Jackie says. "You two go catch up so Lindsay and I can keep talking."

Matthew's eyes light up and he grabs Alex by the hand, leading her down the hall to his room.

"Door stays open!" Lindsay calls after him. She smirks and looks back at her friend.

"So, now that it's just you and me," Jackie says. "Tell me more about what happened with Nick."

"Jackie, you make it sound like we're about to date or we're hooking up," Lindsay tells her, her voice sounding disapproving.

"Well, you could," Jackie states. "You used to."

Lindsay shakes her head. "Nick and I never hooked up. We hardly even dated." She frowns. "I'm not even trying to talk about it like this! You know I'm not looking for anything. It's still… difficult, you know?"

"Okay, well… I'm glad you found a new friend," Jackie replies in a bored tone. "Just don't let him surpass me." She grins at her friend and nudges her mug a little closer to her. "More coffee?"

Lindsay pretends to roll her eyes and picks up both of their mugs, taking them to the counter.

"So… you think he likes you?" Jackie inquires.

"It doesn't matter," Lindsay comments, pouring coffee into one of the mugs.

"Fine, fine; you don't wanna talk about it." Jackie frowns at her nails, noticing some chipped polish.

Lindsay fills the other mug silently and walks back to the table, setting Jackie's mug in front of her.

Meanwhile, in Matthew's room, he and Alex are sitting on his bed.

"You've got any plans today?" Matthew asks her.

"I told Ben I'd come over at four," Alex says. "He wants to get me up to speed with everything him and the guys practiced this week while I was gone."

"Oh." Matthew looks slightly upset.

"I'll come over after," Alex offers. "They've just been working on a lot of new stuff and I need to catch up."

"Okay." He reaches over for a textbook on his desk. "Guess I'll hang out with this guy for a while then."

Alex glances at it and wrinkles her nose. "You're taking pre-calculus?"

"This school year, yeah," Matthew tells her.

"Smarty pants," Alex teases. "You know, that's the reason we never have any classes together. You're too smart for me. It's hurting our relationship." She gives him a look so he knows she's joking.

"Yeah, well, maybe you should keep up," Matthew says, poking her in the arm. "Anyways, your mom mentioned something about going back to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving this year."

Alex gives him a weird look. "She didn't mention anything to me."

"I think she's waiting to tell your dad," Matthew tells her. "I overheard her talking to my mom."

"Well, he's not gonna want to go," Alex points out and shrugs. "Yeah, probably won't happen."

"Um, she said he probably wouldn't," Matthew admits, feeling a little uncomfortable. "She said it would only be for a few days and… she said she'd see if you and Justin wanted to go with her."

"My dad won't let her," Alex insists. "It's not going to happen."

"Okay," Matthew says, "But if it _does_ , would you go?"

Alex thinks about it and shrugs. "Probably." Her heart starts to race.

"Damn. Was worried you'd say that." Matthew sighs.

"Well, if she said it's only for a few days, it's no big deal," Alex tells him. "I mean, I hate being away from you, but… well, it's nice when my parents aren't together, you know?"

Matthew thinks about the other thing that Alex's mother had said, but decides against mentioning it. "Things are pretty bad with them, huh?"

Alex groans. "Of course. It never ends with them. Dad drinks, Mom nags, Dad smokes, Mom nags."

Matthew nods sympathetically. "If they split up again, do you think she'd go back to Wisconsin?"

Alex bites her lip in thought. "I don't think so. I don't think she would do that to me and Justin. We're older now, and… well, the only reason she took off last time was because she was so pissed." She pauses. "That place had no memory of my dad and that's why she wanted to go, but now… I mean, he's been there. He knows everyone now." She glances at Matthew. "I think all of that was supposed to happen though. When we moved back it just brought us all closer together."

"Back when we were twelve," Matthew nostalgically comments. "You came back after being gone for however long, and suddenly I thought you were the prettiest girl I had ever seen." He grins at her.

"What about now?" she asks, pretending to look offended.

"Well, now you're the hottest girl I've ever seen," Matthew tells her, a wicked smile forming on his face.

Alex lightly smacks his arm, a grin on her face despite the guilt she feels upon hearing the retelling of their relationship's beginnings. She has been trying to ignore the fact that she's been yearning for Jimmy. It was hard leaving without saying goodbye, and because it's been on her mind so much, she's beginning to feel like an awful, awful person.

Matthew places his arm around her and she begins to feel more ashamed of herself. The thing is, she hasn't lost feelings for Matthew. She loves him immensely. He's always been there for her; he has become a safe haven for her when she needs to escape her parents' incessant bickering. Despite this, what she has felt with Jimmy is unlike anything she's experienced before. It was becoming an ongoing struggle in her mind—comfort versus passion.

"You're quiet now," Matthew notices as he lightly rubs her arm.

"I'm just enjoying your company," Alex assures him. "I missed it."

"And I missed yours," Matthew tells her before giving her a soft kiss.


	14. Strike One

Daniel hands his empty beer bottle to his old friend Nick Andopolis.

"Got you ten cents," he jokes as Nick takes it.

"Want another one?" Nick asks before standing up.

"You know it."

The two men have been hanging out lately after Lindsay gave Daniel Nick's number three weeks back. Jackie knows her husband drinks a lot when he's with Nick, but she's thankful that he's not just drinking alone on the couch.

Daniel eagerly takes the fresh bottle from his friend and cracks it open as Nick sits back down. "Kids are back to school now."

"I can't believe they're so old," Nick admits. "Between you and Lindsay, and now Ken… kinda feels like I missed out on that part."

"It's not too late for you," Daniel tells him after belching. "Just find a young chick."

Nick shrugs. "Wound up being a good thing that Polly and I didn't have kids, I guess."

"Yep." Daniel, feeling his hand becoming numb, sets down the frosty bottle. "Yeah, so what about Lindsay?"

"What about her?" Nick asks, his face slightly flushing.

"You like her?" Daniel inquires.

"Well… yeah," Nick admits. "But she's not looking for anything and I mean, she's already dumped me once."

"That was in high school," Daniel points out. "Long ass time ago."

Nick chugs his beer and sets it down. "She's got two kids now. Her husband just died; I'm not just gonna, like, ask her out."

"It's been a few months," Daniel tells him.

"It's still fresh," Nick adds, giving his friend a knowing look. "Besides, I don't know, why would she like me?"

"You're probably exactly the type of guy she needs right now," Daniel says. "I know her, man. She likes to act like she's fine and independent but in the end she needs somebody."

Nick gives a little shrug. "Maybe one day. We're just friends, you know."

"For now," Daniel comments, leaning his head back into the couch. "Always thought the two of you together was pretty sweet." He frowns. "Man, Jackie's got me all messed up. She says she's going back to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving."

Nick smirks. "So?"

Daniel shakes his head in frustration despite a permanent, drunken grin on his face. "She was just there, like, last month. She's telling me she told her dad she'd come, but I don't know." He grabs his beer bottle and studies the label. "Just feels weird when she's gone."

"Aw." Nick teasingly punches Daniel in the arm. "You love your wife."

"Well, yeah, but… since we've been fighting so much, I just…" He trails off. "I don't know."

"You worried she'll realize she's happier without you?" Nick asks.

"Maybe," Daniel admits. "She lived there before and it just… makes me nervous. There was this guy she lived with who was, like, super into her, and she swears that nothin' ever happened, but… I just don't trust it. I don't want her running into him."

"You don't trust her?" Nick questions, pulling a cigarette out of the pack sitting next to him.

"She doesn't trust me," Daniel responds.

Nick suppresses a small laugh as he lights the cigarette. "Yeah, 'cause you slept with Kim."

Daniel rolls his eyes at the mention of his ex. "Guess I'm worried she's gonna try and get revenge on me one day."

"You told me that was, like, five years ago," Nick points out.

"Yeah, and she still brings it up just about every day," Daniel shoots back.

Nick gives a helpless smile and offers the pack of cigarettes to Daniel, who shakes his head.

"Can't have her smellin' it on me," he tells Nick.

"You're pussy-whipped," Nick says with a grin.

"Nah, I just can't lose her again," Daniel says sadly. "She keeps sayin' I'm on thin ice. Tells me I'm gonna lose her."

"You guys sound more messed up than Polly and I were," Nick comments. "Then again, we didn't even fight. That was the problem."

"Yeah, and Jackie and I fight too much." Daniel takes another swig of his beer. "Who'd have thought Ken would be the one with a normal marriage?"

"It's 'cause he waited," Nick points out, and the two somberly continue drinking.

…

"Okay, so… mac and cheese or Apple Jacks?" Matthew asks, holding out two boxes in front of his younger brother. "Those are our specials for the night; oh, and no substitutions." A teasing smile appears on his face.

"Whatever, I don't care," Oliver glumly replies.

Matthew gives him a weird look. "What's with you?"

"I wanted to try out for baseball today, but Mom had to work." He frowns and grabs the green cereal box from his brother's grip. "I told her Grandpa would probably take me, but she, like, never wants to call him up and ask anything." He stands up and heads to the kitchen with the box in tow.

"Oh. What time were they?" Matthew asks, following him into the kitchen.

"They're in an hour," Oliver says, opening up the fridge and grabbing the milk.

"Why don't you ask Justin's mom?" Matthew suggests. "Is he trying out, too?"

Oliver rolls his eyes at his brother's idea. "No, he hates baseball."

"So did you, I thought."

"Well, I changed my mind."

Matthew doesn't say anything. He remembers his stepfather's love of the sport and instantly knows why his brother wants to try out.

"If it's that important to you, you'd find a way," he finally tells Oliver.

Oliver snorts, pulls a spoon out of the drawer, and sits down at the table just as the phone begins to ring.

Matthew heads over and answers it. "Hello?"

"Hey, uh… is your mom there?"

It has to be Nick; that guy who has been over a few times. Matthew has met him and thinks he's a pretty cool dude. It'd definitely be weird if his mother starts to date again, but he knows she wouldn't jump into anything too quickly. She's always been very rational.

"Oh, um, no. She's teaching tonight," Matthew responds.

"Oh." Nick is quiet for a moment. "Okay. I was just hanging out down the street and thought I might stop by if she was home."

"Yeah, sure," Matthew replies and then has an idea. "Wait, are you busy tonight?"

"No," Nick says, sounding curious. "Why, what's up?"

"Is there any way you could take Oliver to baseball tryouts in an hour?" Matthew asks, looking over at his brother who has a dumbfounded look on his face.

"Baseball tryouts?" Nick inquires. "Where are they at?"

"Up at the middle school," Matthew tells him, ignoring the death glare that Oliver is sending him.

"Yeah, that's no problem," Nick responds. "There's about a minute left in the Lions game. I'll head right over when it's done."

"Cool. Thanks." Matthew hangs up the phone and raises his eyebrows at his little brother.

"Was that Nick?" Oliver asks.

"Yup." Matthew goes over to the table and sits beside him.

"Why, of all people, would you ask _him_?" Oliver questions, hostility evident in his voice.

Matthew shrugs. "I didn't think it was a big deal. You don't like him or something?"

"He's so obviously trying to date Mom!" Oliver cries out. "This is only gonna earn him more brownie points with her!"

Matthew rolls his eyes. "So?" He sighs. "Mom's smart, okay? She's not gonna start dating any time soon. He's her friend and he's a nice guy." He notes the scowl still present on Oliver's face. "Sorry, I didn't think it'd bug you that much. I thought you'd be happy you get to go."

"Well… no, I'm not!" Oliver exclaims. "Why couldn't you have just called Grandpa or, like, Uncle Neal?"

"Sorry," Matthew says again. "But you get to try out, dude. That's what you wanted."

Oliver just rolls his eyes in annoyance and picks up his half-eaten bowl of cereal, taking it into the kitchen and dumping it down the garbage disposal.

"Now what are you doing?" Matthew asks as Oliver storms past him.

"Getting ready, I guess!"

Five minutes later, Nick arrives.

"Hey, thanks for doing this," Matthew says, greeting the man as he enters the house.

"Oh, it's no problem at all," Nick replies, standing in the foyer.

"And, uh… sorry if he gives you a hard time," Matthew adds, lowering his voice.

Nick looks confused for a moment, and then he realizes what Matthew means. He nods and gives him a sad smile.

Oliver appears, walking out of the hallway and sees Nick standing by the door.

"Hey," Nick greets. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," Oliver mumbles, throwing his bag over his shoulder. He looks at his older brother. "Are you staying home?"

"Alex is coming over," Matthew tells him.

"Okay." Oliver gives him a look before walking out the door, and Nick follows behind him.

"So, you play baseball before?" Nick asks as they get in his truck. "Or, uh… I don't know, Little League?"

"My dad signed me up for tee ball when I was four," Oliver replies flatly. "But I only lasted a month."

"Oh." Nick starts the vehicle and begins backing out of the driveway. It's silent until he puts it in forward and they begin heading out. "Listen, uh, Oliver… I get why you don't really like me."

"I never said that," Oliver points out, his voice monotonous.

"You didn't have to," Nick admits. "And, um… I'm not tryin' to date your mom; I just want you to know that." He glances at Oliver, who is staring down the windshield. "She needs a friend right now, and I know she's not ready to date. I'm not ready to date, either… I mean I just got divorced."

Oliver shifts in his seat and finally looks at Nick. "Really?"

"Yeah," Nick tells him. "I just… your mom is an old friend of mine and I know it sucks to not have many people when you're goin' through a tough time. I'm just trying to help her out, you know?"

"Yeah." Oliver exhales slowly. "I know."

"So, your dad," Nick comments, "Big baseball fan?"

A small smile appears on Oliver's face. "Yeah. He wanted to go pro after he graduated college."

"Did he play in college?" Nick asks, happy that the conversation was beginning to go smoother.

"He went to community college," Oliver mentions. "I think he wanted to transfer to, like, U of M and play for them but he met my mom, and… yeah."

Nick nods. "I was always a basketball guy myself. You like basketball?"

Oliver shrugs. "I'll watch it, but I'm too short to play it."

"Yeah, well, you're probably right around the corner from a growth spurt," Nick points out.

"I've played soccer every year since I was eight," Oliver tells him. "Well, me and Justin did."

"You any good?" Nick inquires.

"I was usually defense," Oliver says. "I guess I was okay. Justin doesn't want to play this spring, though, so I don't think I will either."

"Justin, Daniel's son?" Nick asks, and Oliver nods.

"He starts high school next year and said he'd rather do football," Oliver responds. "I don't know if he'll even be good at it. I think he's just trying to be cool."

Nick smirks as he pulls into the lot of the middle school, thinking about his younger years when he decided that he'd rather smoke pot and play drums rather than keep pursuing basketball. "I know how that goes."


End file.
